Freak of Nature
by michaelsuave
Summary: Harry Potter was always called a "Freak" by the Dursleys, the wizarding world often reviled him, and the muggles ignored his abuse or added to it... After all of that abuse, is it any wonder that Harry is going to make the world regret it? W!Dark Animal H
1. Chapter 1: From the lowliest

**Freak of Nature**

**Summary:**

Harry Potter was always called a "Freak" by the Dursleys, the wizarding world often reviled him, and the muggles ignored his abuse or added to it... After all of that abuse, is it any wonder that Harry is going to make the world of the wizards and muggles regret calling him a "Freak?"

Dark Harry. "Evil" Harry. Harry/Luna

**AN: I'm starting this story on a lark, for fun, as the plot bunny got stuck in my head. I'll update it as it comes to me, but my focus is going to be the "Harry Potter And The Aspects Of Death" story as I promised to finish that one. Either way, I have a feeling that I will be posting at least one chapter in each of these stories per week.**

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Chapter 1: From the lowliest...

"Freak!" "Perversion of Nature!" "Idiot!" "Waste of Space!" were only a few of the epitaphs and curses that were hurled at Harry Potter on a daily basis. The only reason he knew his real name was because his name was the only one left on the teacher's roll-call on the first day of school. When asked by the teacher why the boy didn't reply when called, thinking that the child was already being a trouble-maker on the first day of class, the child replied that "he always went by Freak"; much to the humor and laughter of the other children. Beat down physically, abused emotionally, treated as a slave and all the "authorities" in the community of Surrey did was turn a blind eye and join in on the slander that was perpetrated by Harry's Aunt, Cousin, and whale of an Uncle.

"Shouldn't insult whales that way." Harry thought to himself as he was locked up in his tiny cupboard under the stairs. His only entertainment was the brief glimpses of the telly that the Dursleys had left on while they went out to eat dinner. If the Dursleys had been home, then there would have been no way that they would have been watching the television show that was currently gleaming from the set. Some show like natural geographic was on; discussing the nature of the world and the place that "Man" had in the "natural order," or as the show seemed to suggest, the "unnatural order." The narrator spoke about the nature of predator and prey on the veldts of South Africa, it spoke of the life under the rain-forest roof in Brazil and southern Ecuador, and then it made a passing point that no other species than man had transcended the food chain to the extent that it did. All over the world, animals and insects, plants and bacteria balanced each other out... All except for in the "world of man," the sterile controlled concrete encrusted world of man. It was this minute point in the presentation that struck Harry with an epiphany. It was a gestalt moment, that point when all of the experiences in Harry's miserable life added up to a flip of a switch, and a single controlling thought took over Harry Potter's mind. Looking away from his view of the television through the cat-flap, Harry looked around at the spiders, centipedes and cockroaches that had been his lifelong companions and "friends."

"The Humans are all freaks of nature," Harry postulated in a strange moment of clarity; the destructive actions of his Uncle and his Cousin foremost in his mind. He continued to think. "The humans don't belong here; they just hurt us too much." For Harry did not think of himself as a human. The toll of being beaten like a dog, treated like something subhuman, like an animal, had conditioned his mind to consider the creatures of the world to be his kin.

It was in this epiphany that Harry realized that he had a new mission in life. Mankind had to go.

"But what can I do?" Harry questioned, looking around at the creepy crawlies that had always been his companions. He was constantly being beaten down, hurt, and if it wasn't for his ability to heal quickly, he was sure that he would have been dead by now. He knew that if something didn't change, he would most likely die, the victim of one of his Uncle's beatings that "went too far..."

Holding out his hand to the wall, a cockroach crawled up his arm, its antenna quivering as it crawled into his palm. He had always had a certain affinity for the insects and animals found around the Dursley's household and Little Whinging. After all, if they were seen or heard, they would get smashed just like Harry was smashed down whenever he was seen or heard. Moving his arm so that the roach was at his face level, head and quivering feelers facing towards Harry, he asked "What should I do? Little one, you are always so active, surely you know how to out-survive these bloody Dursleys and their kind?"

The roach's feelers seemed to quiver, its head moving back and forth and its maw seeming to snap, as if it had tried to answer Harry's questions.

"I wish I could understand you little guy... I wish so much that I was like you and able to do what I please, get food like I please, adapt to this hell that I'm bloody living..."

Now if this statement had been made by your average abused little child, sadly nothing would have happened. Harry Potter, however, was anything but your average abused little child. Neither the abuse that had been heaped upon Harry nor the makeup of his DNA was average. For Harry Potter was an incredibly Powerful wizard.

At his wish, his innocent but most fervent wish, Harry's magic woke up...

Surging through Harry, it took the intent of his "wish" and examined that which he was holding. Cockroaches are amazing creatures. Disgusting to some, seen as a pest by many, but you have to give them props for being amazingly adaptable and have the ability to pretty much survive anything. It was encoded in the roach's DNA, the ability to change it at will, to adapt its physiology to that which it pleased... That which it needed to survive... No, not survive... That which would make it thrive!

So it was that Harry Potter's "accidental" magic both changed the makeup of his being, not to look like a roach but to have the ability of a roach, and the ability to talk to the "lowly" creatures of the earth...

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/Hungry Brother...?/ A sense of a voice issued up to Harry from his hand. /I feel food in, beyond, past, crack... get past wall that opens and find food.../ The little roach seemed to say to Harry, though Harry didn't know how he understood the insect.

Startled, Harry jumped a bit and focused more at the roach in his hand. /Um, are you talking to me?/ Harry replied hesitantly to the roach...

Quivering its antenna, Harry distinctly heard from the roach /Yes Brother... Now, am hungry... am always hungry... Can we Eat?/

/We all hear you Brother... Can we eat?/ Quivered and scratched other voices from around him in the darkness.

Wishing to see what was making the voices, Harry noticed that his vision quickly adapted to the lack of light in the small cupboard. As his eyesight changed, his vision got a bit blurry. Moving to remove and check his glasses to make sure that they hadn't gotten broken in his surprise, he noticed that he could clearly see every nick and ding in the glasses in his hand; even the bit of scotch tape that held the bridge of the glasses together. Looking up and around, he noted hundreds, no thousands of crawlers, centipedes, millipedes, spiders and roaches crawl from out of the foundations of the house and onto the walls of his cupboard. Smiling, he realized that he could finally speak to his little friends.

Then he frowned, /I'm sorry, but I don't know how to get out of here. I'm locked in/ He told his little crawling friends as a few alighted on his arms and sat on his knees.

/Locked?... What is this locked?... You either push through it, or climb around it... we do not understand this "locked..."/ a particularly large spider said from his knee.

Hmmm, he thought to himself. I've never really attempted to push through the door. What was another broken hand when he had experienced so many before. Rearing back his hand to punch the door, expecting it to be futile and a bit painful, Harry put his shoulder into it and struck the door.

*Bang!* The punch blew the door open, shattering the cheap particle board that where it attached the lock and latch. Though the door was made of relatively flimsy wood, it still should have resisted the blow of a 10 year old child.

It was then that he noted that his hand didn't hurt at all. Looking at his knuckles, Harry saw an almost chitinous layer of what looked like a thin tan exoskeleton slowly absorb back into his hand.

Smiling to himself, he realized that if he could get this to cover more of his body, then maybe his Uncle's beatings wouldn't hurt too much...

Crawling out of the cupboard and through the broken door, Harry straightened up and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. He figured that he was already going to get into trouble, so he might as well get some food out of it...

Food... He thought with a gulp... God he was hungry all of a sudden. Normally he would be used to living with the hunger pains of the slow starvation and deprivation that he had always known. But for some reason he was hungrier than he had ever remembered.

Walking to the kitchen, his little "brothers" and "sisters" streamed out after him, a wave of insects crawling along the floor and the baseboards of the hallway. Into the kitchen and to the fridge they followed him, where he opened it up to see what was in it. As usual, the fridge was packed full... Seeing so much lovely food in front of him, he absolutely couldn't help it, He began to grab food and simply shove it into his mouth.

Fruits, vegetables and meats, both raw and cooked, were shoved in his mouth and devoured with glee. A smile crept across his face as he ate food for the first time that week.

He didn't care if it was raw, or even if it was meant to be a main dish or a condiment, he spilled the entire contents out of the fridge as fast as he could... only to sit on the pile of frozen and defrosted food and begin to gorge himself... he simply couldn't satiate his hunger.

His little friends joined him, nibbling around the edges of the pile, both Harry and his "siblings" being careful not to get eaten, or eat, in the rush on the food. Harry ate, and ate, and ATE... he swallowed bottles of ketchup, he guzzled his Aunt's fresh orange-juice, he ate the package of raw bacon in smashed up chunks, and he still wasn't full... Whole raw eggs were followed by week old oatmeal and freshly cooked steak leftovers. Whatever it was, he didn't care, and his stomach didn't seem to mind that he was eating more than several times his body weight in food.

All this time, a noted change began to be seen on Harry's body. It has to be understood that if Harry had been any other child, he would have been dead. His body before that night was that of a famine victim, his body beaten and scared like prisoners of the dreaded Russian gulags or Nazi prison camps... in short, he had been little more than a walking corpse. This should be kept in mind when also realizing what the authorities had been turning a blind eye to, or joining in with their insults on the small child.

It was with the gorging of food that Harry's body began to change... to fill out, to grow. His muscles grew from strings of tendons that had been cannibalized to survive into cut raw strength. His white complexion caused by lack of vitamins and minerals changed from its pasty white pallor to that of a rosy glow. Even his bones and skin that had been broken and mended many times healed and erased any semblance of abuse. His gorging was turning into a density of muscle and health that could only be the combination of magic and the natural DNA manipulation that kept the cockroach healthy through a nuclear Armageddon. An underweight 10 year old child of 45 pounds suddenly turned into a fully grown 10 year old who was weirdly full of dense muscle, clocking in at 160 pounds.

Finished with the food from the refrigerator, Harry's eyes scanned the kitchen, looking for more food to fill his stomach with, he felt like he had 10 years worth of eating to catch up on. Standing up, careful not to step on any of his friends, Harry walked to the pantry. Throwing it open, he saw that it was stocked with cans of soup, vegetables and other components for the meals he normally had to make for the Dursleys. Grabbing out cans, he accidentally squeezed too hard, causing the can of tomato paste to explode and shower the floor and walls with the red goo... much to the enjoyment of Harry's little crawling siblings.

Grabbing out another can of soup, this time crème of mushroom, harry pushed his thumb through the tin can's lid and guzzled back the soup. With his other hand he grabbed a box of dried pasta, and started munching it by the mouthful. He was so intent on eating the loudly crunching pasta was he that he didn't hear the garage door opening, heralding the return of the Dursleys from their dinner...

Petunia was the first to enter the kitchen from the door to the garage, and what she saw immediately made her Scream!

*Ahhhhhhh!* She yelled, her legs giving way at the sight of her once spotless kitchen covered by the debris of the fridge and swarming with thousands of insects.

/Scatter! / Thousands of little voices cried out and they all began to swarm around the room, some running up Petunia's legs, causing her to stomp and dance her feat around in screams of agony and as she tried to escape the room and at the same time smash the insects.

Pushing herself back on all fours in a backwards crab walk, she was going as fast as she could back towards the door into the garage... just in time for her head to impact strongly with Vernon's "man-bits" as he ran in through the same door...

Fortunately for Harry and his friends, the chaos of Petunia screaming at the top of her lungs and Vernon buckling over and screaming like a little girl covered for him to make a break out of the pantry and back to his cupboard. Quickly closing the door to the cupboard, Harry hoped that he would be overlooked in the chaos. His insect friends quickly streamed out the garage door and into the night, while others shimmied under the crack to Harry's cupboard or under the refrigerator, making a mostly clean escape.

Wincing with pain, Vernon stumbled through the kitchen, attempting not to slide on the slime that was on the floor, he made his way to Harry's cupboard.

Throwing open the cupboard door Vernon didn't realize that he wasn't the one to break the latch on the door. Reaching in, Vernon wrapped his hand around Harry's neck and proceeded to drag him out into the open, not noting the change in Harry's complexion or weight due to his fury and pain.

"I know you are responsible for this you little Freak!" He spit in Harry's face, cabbage and sausage from his earlier eaten dinner splattering out of his mouth. "We can't leave you at home like a normal child, not even for one night without your unnaturalness ruining our lives!" He reached back and backhanded the silent child in his grasp with all his strength... Only to feel his hand break when it impacted Harry's cheek. What normally would have broken a child's neck instead shattered all of the small bones in Vernon's hand.

Screaming again in pain, he dropped his hold on Harry's neck and clenched his hand to his chest. Looking down at Harry, his vein throbbing in his forehead he winced, "Go clean up the mess! Don't expect to eat for a week after this you miserable excuse of human waste!" Vernon grated.

Keeping his head down, Harry smiled slightly to himself, making sure to have it wiped off his face by the time he exited the hall into the kitchen. The look of pain on Vernon's face was worth it, let alone the chance to eat so much food. Harry didn't feel hungry any more, for the first time in his life he actually felt really good.

"Things were going to change in his life." He thought. Harry didn't know what he was going to do, he didn't really have a plan or a goal yet, but ideas were starting to percolate in his brain. Yes, oh yes, he would make those freaks of nature pay. Human kind had been at the top of the food chain for too long. It was going to take some effort, but he would make them pay for what they had done to him and his friends. With that thought, he went into the broom closet to get a mop and start on cleaning the kitchen. It was going to be a long night of chores... but strangely, Harry didn't feel tired in the slightest.

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**AN: Well, did you like it? I have the story plotted out, so can write quickly or not at all depending on people's thoughts. This story is going to go through cannon, but with a VERY different Harry. Please review and let me know if this plot idea interests you or not.**


	2. Chapter 2: Darwin's Theory Meets Magic

**Freak of Nature**

**AN1: Looks like I forgot the disclaimer last time. I don't own Harry Potter or get any monetary benefit from writing this work.**

**AN2: Thanks to all those who showed interest in the first chapter by writing a review. I don't think reader's understand how important it is to get reviews from the readers, so I thank you for your encouragement and your questions/comments. They really inspired me to think harder about what I want to do with Harry and get it down on "paper" before it fled my thoughts. Best wishes to you all.**

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/creepy crawler speak/

[parseltongue]

**{larger animals}**

**Chapter 2: Darwin's Theory Meets Magic**

Effective magic is transcendent nature.

~George Eliot

"But I don't want him to goooooooo!" Whined Dudley, sulking and bouncing up and down in his tantrum. It sickened Harry to see that Dudley's prodigious belly and rolls of fat continued to jiggle up and down even after Dudley had stopped his bouncing. Dudley continued to pout, "Why does the Freak have to come to the zoo with us, I don't want him there and he will ruin everything!" Dudley complained, his grating voice tearing at Harry's nerves a bit.

"He should have been strangled shortly after birth, or put out in the fields to die..." Harry groused to himself. Dudley's continued survival was both an insult to humankind and a perfect example for Harry about how the "humans" were absolute freaks of nature. This tantrum of Dudley's was totally alien to Harry who had to learn from a young age the same lessons that all animals learned.

Thinking about it, Dudley was a perfect example of how humans went beyond the laws of nature:

1. You stand on your own feet at a young age or you are left to die, similar to any young colt or pup. In comparison Dudley couldn't feed himself if he was presented to a tree and the fruit on the tree was pointed out to him. The young "whale's" sheer stupidity had no bounds, and it was only coddled by his parents and their attempts to make him feel "special" when he was barely passing any of his classes. It was a continued surprise to Harry that Dudley had enough spare brain cells to remember to breath.

2. Don't anger the pack or the authority of the pack. Dudley was a menace to the whole community, vandalizing and destroying the property, picking on the local kids and generally being a hoodlum. In nature, if you poked at the young of a bear you would get eaten. If you ticked off a large predator, you got eaten. If you pissed off the pack the pack leaders, you were sent off on your own to eventually die or get eaten by the other predators. Petunia and Vernon's protection of Dudley in the face of his actions was the only thing that kept Dudley out of St. Brutus's School for delinquents.

3. Survival of the fittest ruled in nature, but in humanity survival of the rich or the lucky was the rule of law. All throughout Surrey Harry had seen instances of where the "weak" individuals with money or power, not necessarily skill or smarts, ruled and beat down the rest of the population. The Dursleys were the perfect example of this.

In short, the Dursleys were weak... They deserved to be prey...

These were all very good reasons, in Harry's thinking, that the Humans had to be brought back in line with nature. Something had to be done before their corruption could spread and completely devour the rest of the world. Drawing his attention back to his placating Aunt and Uncle, and his whining Cousin, he was interested to hear that perhaps his luck may be turning.

"No! I'm sorry Dudli-kins, but the freak has to come with us." Said Vernon in a placating tone. "The old lady across the street is ill and can't watch him, and nobody else in the neighborhood could be bothered to watch the little low-life. Now be a good sport and give it an old English try." He said with a smile at his son.

"But I don't Wannnnnt Toooo!" Dudley whined again.

"Well we can't leave him here, even in his cupboard. The latch is still broken and he made too much of a mess the last time we left him at home. So there will be no more arguments, and we will just have to make sure to buy you some extra ice-cream when we get to the zoo. How does that sound?" Vernon said to sooth his son.

"Okay, but I want two scoops this time... and a sugar cone!" Dudley said, suddenly happy at the thoughts of sweets.

Harry scoffed; Dudley's attention span was the size of a gnat's... bring out the sweets and the whole world passed him by.

"And we don't want to hear a Peep out of you Boy! One screw-up, one... un-natural action out of you, and we will leave you there to stay with the other animals and their cages! Do you hear me boy!" Vernon said, turning his attention to glare down at his nephew.

Smiling inside, the idea of living at the zoo sounded pretty good to Harry. Outwardly though he lowered his head and said, "Yes Uncle Vernon."

"Don't give me any sass boy!" His Uncle said, raising his hand and smacking Harry upside the back of his head with Vernon's cast covered hand; the doctors had had to use three pins and four screws to get the bones back into place, and Vernon was still favoring the hand. Even with the blow from Vernon's hand and the cast, Harry's new "ability" protected him from feeling any associated pain or from even moving his head at the weight of the blow.

"Grab Petunia's purse and Dudley's snack boxes and follow us out to the car." Vernon grumbled at Harry. Turning to exit the house and issue Dudley to the car.

Harry followed his orders and went to the kitchen to get Dudley's "prescribed" snack containers; couldn't let Dudley go without eating every thirty minutes apparently... And then he quickly grabbed his Aunt's purse off of the kitchen table and ran out the door to load it all in the bonnet of the car. Then he jumped into the back seat where he no doubt would spend the drive into London dodging projectiles or fists thrown by Dudley.

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"The zoo was brilliant!" Thought Harry.

Though Harry wasn't able to show it on the outside, he was beginning to get a plan. Everything he needed was here, he thought as he walked by the displays of giraffes and wildebeests. Horns, claws, teeth, fangs, armor, camouflage... the animals at the zoo showed Harry the vast array of different offensive and defensive capabilities that nature had developed in the animal kingdom. Yet it saddened Harry that even with all of the muscle, brains and might that he saw in the animals, they were still not able to defeat the humans and their tools.

"Hmmm, perhaps nature just hasn't found the right mix yet or degree of skills and abilities needed to keep the Human's in check?" He thought to himself, lagging behind a bit as he looked at the signs detailing life on the veldt's of Africa.

"Hurry up boy! No dilly dallying or we will leave you behind!" Vernon cursed at Harry while looking back at him. "Dudley wants to go look at the snakes, so you had better not get lost or we will leave you here to fend for yourself! Bloody waste of resources, I can't believe I had to pay 15 pounds to get you into this place! You're going to earn it in labor when we get back home!" Vernon grumbled as he walked away, not looking to see if Harry was following.

It was then that a plan started to come to Harry's mind. Getting left behind at the zoo... "Well nothing was as bad as living with the Dursleys." Harry thought, letting the distance between him and his relatives grow larger as they moved towards the reptile and amphibian house.

"Hmmm, it's not like I couldn't find food around here; after all, there are all of these vendor booths filled with food, and it isn't like I haven't eaten the garbage left over from the Dursleys for the last 10 years." He silently contemplated. Scrabbling for survival didn't lead one to develop a very "refined" palate, and in reality Harry had held many similarities to the cockroaches of his cupboard long before he assimilated their ability to adapt.

"Nature, after all, allows for gathering or scavenging... heck, it allows for hunting. In fact, if I want to be part of the food chain then I will have to hunt also." This fact had been shown to him many times through the animal exhibits. Take for instance the Impala which was humorously termed "the hamburger of the veldt" because everything ate it. "Yes," Harry thought, "There were the predators, and there were the prey. It was definitely better to be a predator than prey."

The roach and his brother's had told him about eating both the leftovers that they could get, but also how tasty flesh could be, even that of their recently deceased brethren. The spiders that lived with Harry often ate his other siblings, so the nature of the cycle of life really didn't affect Harry's thoughts too much; it was all natural after all.

"Hmmm, I wonder if penguin tastes like chicken?" Harry thought, his feet leading him into the reptile house. "I will need a distraction if I am to make a successful get away." He thought, opening the door to the reptile house and entering its glass lined depths.

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Voices, he was absolutely inundated with voices. The funny thing was that many of them were insulting the humans around him.

[Ssssss, Look at that one, it looks like a hippo and its young SSSSsss] Said one voice to Harry's right, issuing from a small glassed-in display.

[SSSSSS Check out the horse head that is with the hippos SSSSSS That could feed me for a week or two if I could only wrap around it SSSSS] Came from the glass display for the python to Harry's left.

[Ssssss Would probably give you indigestion Sssss] Hissed from the right [Ssss itsss looks like itssss constipated Ssssss] With that last comment a slight alternating hissing sound issued from both sides of the hall, to which Harry interpreted to be laughter.

A bit startled to be able to understand the snakes in the reptile house, yet at the same time not too surprised after his dealing with his "siblings," Harry approached the display on the right.

A fern and plant filled topiary was presented to Harry's view, yet he couldn't make out where the snake was. Looking at the display sign, he saw that it read "Chameleon Snake. Found on the island of Borneo in Indonesian Territory. Highly Poisonous." His reading was interrupted by a voice from the enclosure.

[Sssss Come closer Stupid Human, Feel my bite you dumb beast!] the voice said.

[Hey!] Harry said, [Watch who you are calling a "stupid human" fang face!] he said indignantly.

Suddenly Harry saw movement in the display case. [Sssss You are a speaker! Sssss I've always wanted to talk to a Sssspeaker. Itssss ssso boring hereSssss] Harry saw a snake move off of the mulch and out from underneath the low hanging ferns that it had blended in with. The rest of the hissing voices around the display became silent at the interruption by the new voice in their daily game of "insult the humans." Many heads in displays pushed up against the glass and began to try to look down the hall to where Harry was speaking with the Chameleon Snake.

[I didn't realize I was a speaker, what is that?] Harry questioned, eyebrow raised.

[SSSSS You are a wizard who can speak to ussSSSS] The python from the display behind Harry stated, raising its head to look around.

"Quick, Mum, Dad, look over here! Its moving!" Dudley squealed, running over to the python display behind Harry and started to poke and pound on the glass. Cringing, Harry turned back to the Chameleon Snake, ignoring his relatives' annoying actions.

[A wizard? How can you be sure?] Harry asked the snake before him.

A voice came from above his head, a display that lined the roof, [sssss we can tastessss it... only wisssards can speak parsel sssss yet, you taste... you smell... different than normal wisssardssssss... more like the earthssss] An Egyptian asp stated.

[So what does that mean? I can do magic or something] Harry said, not liking the idea that he really could be a "freak" as his relatives called him.

[YeSsssss] The Chameleon said from in front of him.

Harry took a step back and continued to ignore Dudley's and now Vernon's incessant pounding on the python's glass. Harry had to think. Did he care that he could do magic? Did it make him a freak? Well, yes, he did care... However, was that a bad thing? He thought. Could this be a good thing? Could this be how I survived...? Better yet, could this be how I thrive.

[SSSSS Can you shut these two up or get me out of here so that I can deal with them PleaseSSSSS?] The python groused from behind Harry, inspiring a new swing to his thoughts.

"This could be it!" Harry's brain triggered. "This could be what I'm looking for to solve all of my problems!" Harry thought with incredible giddiness.

It was all coming together in his mind. It was all making sense. The feeling that he had been having, the tingles and the ability to talk to his siblings... His ability to grow healthy and shrug off all of the years of abuse... His ability to defend himself from his Uncle's blows... It was the magic. Maybe nature and the forces of the world were using him to solve its problems.

Perhaps, just perhaps, he could be the solution for the problem that was the humans.

Smiling a smug, and what some may call evil smile, Harry thought, "Ok, so I have the defense down. But if Nature is going to use me, then I will need to start acquiring the offensive abilities." Harry then turned his attention back to the two snakes in front and behind him, the Egyptian asp, the python, but especially the poisonous Chameleon snake.

[How would you all like to make a deal?] He said with a small smirk.

[SSSSS What is the deal and what is in it for uSSSSS?] The python said, now cringing a bit from the growing headache caused by the pounding of the two tubs of lard that were Harry's human kin.

[SSssss Yeah, what do we get out of it? What can you do for us while we are stuck in these gilded cagesSsssss?] Hissed the Chameleon.

[That's just it] Harry said with a gleam in his eye, he didn't remember ever being this happy before, [I can get you out of your cages, and in return you help me out. Sound like a deal?]

[SSS ssssSSSsSSS Yes, FreE ME, pick me, FREE ME SSSssSsSsSs] Issued from all of the cages up and down the hall, all of the snakes had been listening into the conversation as much as they could over the pounding of Vernon and Dudley.

[That's just it, you help me to... how should I say it... "evolve"... and I will help you all have a fighting chance to escape... All of you.] Harry said, looking up and down the hall.

Hissing issued up and down the hall, so fast and furiously that Harry couldn't seem to catch it... and then it was silent for a second.

[SSSS I speak for all of us, Yes, we will accept your offer, as long as you don't hurt or kill us in your... "evolving" SSSSS Are we agreed? SSSS] The python said from behind Harry, now squinting in the light from a pounding migraine.

[Yes, I agree] Harry said. With that, Harry put his hand against the wall and closed his eyes. All of the reptiles in the room became silent.

Harry thought back to the night that he had learned to speak to his siblings, had decided that he would no longer "just survive" but that he would take an active role in thriving. The night that, he realized, that his 'magic' woke up and helped him. He thought back to the feeling of the change that had gone through him that night, and he followed that memory of a feeling back through his body until he could almost see or sense a large white glowing sea of... something... floating through his system. He surmised that this could only be his magic.

Looking at his magic, Harry thought about what he wanted to do, what he wished to do... what he intended to do...

Harry's magic reacted, and followed his will...

A wave of power rippled out of Harry's hand that was pressed on the wall, as if he had dropped a large stone in a calm palm, the ripples spread up and down the walls, over the ceilings and floors and encompassed the entire reptile house. Where ever that wave went, whenever it touched glass, that glass immediately disappeared.

His new friends, and now extended family, were free...

* * *

Mass Pandemonium... Sheer Chaos...

It was an absolute madhouse as reptiles seemed to dart out of their once enclosed boxes. Many of the visitors were yelling and screaming, pushing and shoving their way towards the exits. One lady had passed out when the Gardner snake, a harmless non-poisonous green snake, had slithered out of its enclosure and landed on her head. The little snake could be heard laughing as it slithered down her splayed-out body and towards the door.

The chaos was only increased by the fact that both Dudley and Vernon fell through the now non-existent glass to the python exhibit and fell sputtering into the water of the enclosure.

The python was the first to fully leave the displays around Harry, which gave Harry a sinister and slightly humorous new plan.

His hand still on the wall, a new ripple shot out of the right wall, flew across the ceiling to the python's former habitat and became the new glass enclosed home of one Vernon, and one Dudley, Dursley.

Petunia didn't know whether to scream and run away, or scream and try and help her precious Dudli-kins and Vernon. Her brain decided for her and she passed out, hitting her head on a hand rail and no doubt giving her a nice headache to match the one that Vernon and Dudley's pounding had given the python.

Harry loved his life!

Fighting to keep the huge grin off of his face, Harry turned his attention back to his task at hand. Taking his hand off the wall, Harry held out his right hand to first the Egyptian Asp's display, and then to the Chameleon Snake's display. Both reptiles slithered out of their enclosures and entwined themselves through his fingers and over and around his wrist. Harry then turned back to his left and beckoned for the python to join him, reaching his left hand down, he used the strength he had gained from his adaptation of the roach to pick up the python and rest the large snake around his shoulders. All in all, Harry was showing the very poisonous snakes, and the constrictor, a great deal of faith and trust. Then again, the snakes were showing him a great deal of trust in helping them escape, performing magic on them, and being picked up by him.

[Come my friends, this will not hurt at all. I promise that when this is done I will help you get out of here.] Harry stated to the snakes that were threaded around his limbs.

Again Harry closed his eyes and communed with his magic, asking it for the abilities to adapt... to be like his new family... To better be able to survive, to be more like them... To have the offensive gifts to thrive...

Magic answered him again...

For the initial moment, Harry didn't feel anything really happen, nor did he see any changes in his reflection in the now reappeared glass on the "Dursley Display."

However it was upon opening his mouth to talk to the snakes that he realized he had in fact changed.

Sticking his tongue out to talk to the snakes, he realized that he was picking up a new sensation, a million different flavors or smells seemed to be issuing from his surroundings and directly to his tongue... "This may make it tough to eat garbage." He thought to himself. Secondly, he realized that his facial bones felt like they had been changed or moved.

His jaw felt different, almost like it could be unhinged if he wanted it to. This caused Harry to smile an impossibly wide "Cheshire cat" type grin... "This had definite possibilities." He thought to himself, while swirling his tongue over his teeth and the top of his mouth. This is how he made his third introspective discovery...

He had fangs, or at least the possibility of fangs... "Maybe they can be moved he thought." Smiling at his reflection in the glass and pulling on his lips with his fingers. Doing so, and slightly opening his mouth, he was able to realize that he could fully extend and retract said fangs... That and there was some kind of "sack" or growth just on the inside of the roof of his mouth.

"Brilliant!" He said with a gleam, "I've got venom!" It was then that he looked from his face to his body, and came to a startling discovery; his body wasn't there!

"Bloody hell! What happened?" He said, moving a bit to the left. In doing so he was relieved to see that what he had thought to be his non-existent body was really just magically painted to look like the open exhibit behind him. It appeared that his magic was making his body below his head, clothes and all, blend into the background. It was as if Harry had been standing in front of a billboard and an over-enthusiastic painter has just painted Harry into the background.

Taking a step to the right, and then the left, Harry saw in his reflection that his blending didn't happen immediately. When he stood still, he was slowly able to fade into the background, looking like he was part of the scenery. Concentrating, he realized that he could make his body and his clothing appear as they had been; his clothes returning to all of their oversized and worn out "glory."

"Boy!" Vernon's voice startled Harry "I know you did this you Freak! Get us out of here! This has your unnatural freakiness written all over it!" He foamed from his mouth at Harry; a vein threatening to burst from Vernon's forehead. "When I get out of here you are going to get it!"

"Why Uncle," Harry said with a maniacal gleam in his eye, "Who said you are going to get out of there?" Harry said, casually strolling towards the enclosure. "You threatened to leave me at the zoo, and I'm merely taking you up on it." He said, catching a glimpse of zoo keepers through the glass of the reptile house's doors; they were quickly running towards the reptile house. "I'll just leave you here with your precious Dudli-kins, and we will see who the zoo keepers think are the "freaks." He said, casually running his hand down the glass, almost serpent like in its caress of the glass.

"Ta Ta Uncle... Pray that we don't meet again... for when we do... you will be the one to "get it."

With that said Harry took a gliding step back and closed his eyes.

Slowly Harry, and his reptile friends draped about him, faded into the background; totally disappearing.

Harry's disappearance was just in time for the zoo keepers to open and run through the door to the reptile house. They had heard the tales from the other visitors and had come to deal with the "crazy freak walrus of a man" who'd let all of the snakes escape. Must have been some kind of green-peace or PETA fanatic, they thought as they saw the man and the boy locked in the glass enclosure, the woman who had reportedly been with them laying unconscious on the floor.

Nice of him and his accomplices to get captured in, and around, the glass enclosure like that, the zoo keepers thought with a smile.

* * *

**AN: I write this story for fun. Part of that fun is hearing what people think about the chapter and my ideas for Harry. I'm planning on him going through the cannon verse, and am really looking forward to getting to Harry's impressions on the wizards and purebloods, as well as the magical animals and species. If any of this interests you, write reviews. I'm not promising any sort of update, but the fact that I received so many good questioning/commenting reviews this weekend inspired me to put out this second chapter. So write reviews, inspire more creativity, get more chapters. Best wishes!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Lions Sleep Tonight

**Freak of Nature**

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK does… Blah Blah Bladddity Blah!

**AN1: I received a lot of questions in the reviews, and your questions will be answered in the story. I don't like giving away the plot before it is written. Suffice it to say, I don't really see Harry joining old moldi-shorts or bumblebee, as they are both part of the problem; where as Harry is trying to become the solution. I think this chapter starts to relay to the reader some of my feelings on Dumblmort, the next chapter will start to address dealings with Voldidore's followers. Also, without giving anything away, Harry is growing and developing. I'm sticking to the nature and nurture motif, so he is going to change as he both gains new abilities as well as when he goes through new experiences. Oh, and please note that when I said in a prior author's note that Harry will go through canon, I just meant that he isn't going to go all AU and not deal with the situations that come about in the books. I did not mean that Harry will react exactly the same as the Harry did in the books. That's all of the spoilers you're going to get, and it's already more than I feel comfortable giving! (*insert evil laughter here*)**

**AN2: I would really like to thank all of the people who wrote reviews to my story. It's because of those reviews that I am starting to write this chapter earlier than I had expected to, because you got my creative juices flowing. I'm of the mindset that more reviews equal more, and longer, chapters; so thanks for taking the time to tell me your thoughts on the story. I make it a point to try and reply to every review that you leave (if you have private messages turned on*). Best wishes, and on with the show!**

**

* * *

**[parsel]

/critter/

**{beast}**

**Chapter 3: The Lion Sleeps tonight...**

"Kids. You gotta love them. I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon-perfect."  
— Jim Butcher (Storm Front)

Nobody liked Stan Arbuckle, period. The man was smelly, lacking a natural sense of hygiene, and he didn't care enough that he repulsed people. Among the other zoo keepers it was widely known that Stan had cheated his way through his zoology and animal biology classes at University and the only reason he received, and kept, his job at the zoo was because his father was on the board of donors for the Zoological Society of London. Even still, Stan's supervisors kept him stuck to shifts and chores that kept him away from the public, and even more so, away from the other zoo keepers. But ultimately, the reason why people Hated Stan Arbuckle, was because he was FREAKING ANNOYING!

Especially to one Harry James Potter who was attempting to sleep…

"WeeeEEEEEeeee EEEEEeeeeeEEEE The Lion Sleep's tonight! WEEEEeeeeeEEEEEeeee EEEEEEeeeee EEEEE The Lion Sleep's tonight, He He heH…!" Stan sang to himself at the top of his lungs, his falsetto voice sounding like a cross between nails on a chalkboard and rabbit's death scream. In short, really freaking annoying, as usual for Stan's morning walks to the monkey enclosure…

Walking along the path from the Feeding and Nutritional building, Stan's job was to feed the chimpanzee's their early morning breakfast; so he had two buckets full of a mix of vegetables and protein sources, all mixed in with a vitamin mash. As he headed towards the chimpanzee enclosure, he enjoyed how his voice was able to echo throughout the zoo. The wolves and hyena's cried out in howls as he and his song went by their enclosures, his song wafting through the displays, even drowning out the sounds of the crying peacocks that he had rudely awakened.

Traversing one of the paths, he walked beside the brick wall of donors, each donor to the London Zoo had a brick with his or her name engraved in it; His father's name was a brick of especially large size, denoting the size of his father's donations to the zoo.

"WeeeeeEEEEE EEEEEEeeeeeEEEEe Um um boway!... WeeeeeeEEEE EEEeeeEEEE um um Boway!" (Was it mentioned that Stan didn't even know all of the words to the song, so all he kept singing were the really annoying parts of the song that Stan did know?... Yep, Stan was freaking annoying!)

"Weeeee EEEE eeeee eeeEEEEKKKKKKKKKK! AAAAGGHHH!" Stan's song cut off in a gurgle of pain! A sharp stinging pain shot up his left forearm and caused his body to lock up in agony and start to spasm!

Dropping both of his buckets of food, he was dumbstruck by the pain; not that Stan wasn't already pretty dumb... The pain was absolutely blinding, it seemed to start at his arm and quickly creep up his shoulder and spread into his torso, he looked down at his arm and was shocked!

There appeared to be a kid, painted up like the donor wall of bricks, latched onto his arm with his teeth!

"Bloody Hell! Get off me you little Freak!" Stan cried out in pain, attempting to jerk his arm out of the kid's mouth and pry off the two hands that were holding on to Stan's forearm.

The kid looked up at Stan with pure green eyes, and smiled, teeth embedded in Stan's arm. The kid had an eerie smile that seemed to start at both of his ears and continued across his face like a large slice of watermelon; showing way more white teeth and gums than was physically possible on a normal human being. The kid let up on his bite and took a quick step back, it seemed to Stan that the kid more glided than walked back against the wall. Looking down at his forearm, Stan saw that he had two deep puncture wounds that seemed to foam with some kind of greenish-yellow and black liquid.

Stumbling back, weaving from side to side, Stan realized that he didn't feel so well… no, check that, he felt pretty horrible… His world seemed to spin, first horizontally, and then vertically, his legs were like jelly and he couldn't keep his feet. The pain was now spread from the top of his head all the way to his toes; Stan didn't realize that it was possible to hurt in so many places at once!

Falling to his knees, and then to his back, his blurry vision focusing and unfocusing, he fell facing the kid who, Stan noticed, had somehow removed all of his brick colored paint and was looking down at him with a big smile.

"Go to sleep annoying human, I'm here to help…" The kid said with that same huge smile.

"What are you taaaallllkkkking abooouuuuut… bubble bubble, droooooolllll…." Stan mumbled out, his sentence, ending in nothing but an incomprehensible gurgle with drool now coming out of his limp mouth. His body now paralyzed and his head muscles rigidly focusing his head to look at the kid.

"Well, help myself that is." Said the child with a shrug and a smile as he moved forward and started to lean over Stan.

Stan Arbuckle would no longer be a problem for the other zoo keepers. His last view of the world was the kid gliding towards him, the kid's mouth opening and getting larger than should ever be possible on a human-being…

* * *

Dumbledore loved lemon-drops. "Lemon-drops lemon-drops Lemon-drops… Mmmmmm… Nothing is better than lemon-drops!" Dumbledore thought as he "blissed-out" on the sweet and sour muggle confection; eyes rolling up into the back of his head with pleasure.

Dumbledore was playing hooky from the world, "Let the sheep run themselves for the day" He thought. "What harm can one day of lemon-filled bliss do to the world?" He postulated through the haze of calming potion infused lemon-drops and phoenix song, His familiar also enjoying the experience of drinking a 30 year old bottle of fire whiskey that Albus had given him. "After all, it's not like I can't fix any problems that could arise in one day…" His brain waxed poetically as he drifted with the sounds of Fawkes's warbles.

"He He HEEEE, drunk phoenix song is great!" Albus twittered to himself, reminiscing about the good-old days, days spent in the lemon groves behind the Dumbledore Ancestral Mansion, frolicking through the groves with his good friend Grindelwald… "Ah to be back in happier times." He thought, kicking his fuzzy sock covered feet up onto his desk and reclining in his headmaster's chair.

Now if Dumbledore had been paying attention, he would have noticed that several of the devices that monitored Harry Potter and the Dursleys were spinning like mad. If Dumbledore hadn't been so enraptured by the phoenix song, he might have heard the tracking device that monitored the Dursleys' wards shriek and die, he might have even noticed that the tracking charm that was precisely tuned to the harmonic's of Harry Potter's magical core stopped moving at all. The loss of that one device was dreadful, especially because said device had been attuned to Harry shortly after his removal from the wreckage of Godric's Hallow and should be impossible to change due to the fact that a Wizard's core harmonics "never" changed; stopping of said device usually denoted the death of the tracked. If that device had continued to spin, then it could have told Albus Dumbledore exactly where Harry Potter was, anywhere in the world.

However, to top things off, Dumbledore was ignoring his work.

He hadn't read any of the school reports. Ignored was the report by Pomona that Minerva McGonagall had "fallen off the wagon" again and was, again, found rolling nude in Professor Sprout's catnip patch.

Ignored were the reports from the ministry of magic detailing an obliviator detail that had been sent to the muggle zoo to deal with a case of a muggle father and mother and their child who had somehow done accidental magic and ended up in the python display. If he hadn't "taken the day off" he would have seen that the lead obliviator on the case was one Gilderoy Lockhart; who also happened to be publishing a new book on his escapades in freeing endangered snakes from muggle "prisons" and then harvesting said snakes for potions ingredients and snake skin shoes that brought out the color of his eyes.

If he hadn't been "taking the day off," Dumbledore may have even seen a mention in the muggle newspaper he received (purely for the section on new knitting patterns and the crossword puzzle) that stated that a chimpanzee at the same muggle zoo was shot and killed when it was found in the possession of the bones and partially regurgitated clothing of one Stan Arbuckle, former zoo keeper.

But nope, not today. To many if's, and's, or but's were being ignored, because Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was taking the day off.

"He he, drunk phoenix." Albus twittered as he closed his eyes for a nice lemon infused afternoon nap; sung to sleep by his pissed as a fart phoenix familiar.

* * *

"Heh heh, throw poo at me will you… well that won't be happening again, will it now?" Harry chuckled to himself with glee while watching the zoo keepers remove the body of the recently shot chimpanzee.

"See how you like it now 'chuckles'" Harry thought, slowly pushing his way through the pack of children on a field trip from a local school; picking his teeth with a toothpick that some would say looked strangely like a shard of a human sternum. "Two proverbial bird's with one stone. I got rid of the annoying zoo keeper who woke me up every morning with his incessant singing, and I got rid of that monkey who dared to hit me with poo…" Harry though, he really really hated monkeys for some reason. Maybe it was the poo throwing? It reminded him too much of the Dursleys' and their hygiene habits.

Weaving in and out of the school children scattered throughout the path, he thought back to his week at the zoo since the Dursley's had been taken away in handcuffs… now there was a happy memory worth keeping!

His first task after leaving his relatives had been to follow through on his promise to his new reptilian friends. Strangely, this was easily accomplished by moving into the staff area of the reptile house where crates were labeled "Approved Wildlife Re-Introduction Program, Royal Zoological Society of the United Kingdom." Looking through the forms that were attached to the crates, he saw that the destination and species of the crate's "guests" hadn't been filled out yet. So with a little doctoring of paperwork here, a little swiping of a strutting peacock or rare-songbird there, and his friends were packed and ready to be on their way to Borneo, Egypt, and Brazil; Harry had even packed them with snacks! Harry then picked an out of the way corner of the room to blend in with, and waited for the hubbub to die down surrounding his relatives.

"Ah, Happy memories," Harry thought. "I especially liked the point where the bobby used his nightstick to hamstring uncle Vernon and then choke him into submission." He had thought with a large smile. After seeing the volunteer zoo workers ship his friends back to their homes, he waited until the zoo reopened the next day and then joined the crowds.

Being "alone" at the zoo was a bit of a learning experience. He had to avoid the "helpful" zoo keepers and volunteers who were apt to try and "help" him back to his "family," but other than that things went pretty well. It was easy to blend into the background to steal a meat pasty from one booth, and he got to try ice-cream swiped from another vendor's booth, both firsts considering his life with the Dursleys, but then he became bored. He decided that if he wanted to become a predator, then he needed to learn how to hunt.

Harry's first hunting experience had been performed by entering the open bird habitats, those exhibits that let people walk through large cages where the birds fly free. Quick as a snake, his hands had shot out and grabbed two birds that were stupid enough to get within pouncing distance of Harry. After that meager snack, he realized that he still didn't know how to hunt. Perhaps he needed to look into stalking?

So he had gone to the penguin exhibit. Being able to blend into the wall in the zoo keeper's changing room had presented Harry with a set of keys to the zoo, including the penguins' frigid room. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that his gifts from his siblings had enabled him to speed up his metabolism so that he didn't get cold in the refrigerated room that the penguins swam and frolicked in.

"It's a good thing I take after my cockroach brothers when it comes to body temperature," Harry thought, "It would have bloody sucked to be cold blooded like my extended kin the snakes." It was also a good thing that Harry wasn't cold blooded, because temperatures at night in London during the spring could be a might chilly; and sleeping outside would not have been fun. It would have put a serious damper on his hunting ability if he slowed down every night.

Being able to blend in with the white painted background in the icy playground of the penguins was child's play; which was pretty great for Harry considering he was a child who hadn't been able to experience "play" while living with the Dursleys. He had had to learn to move slowly along the wall of the enclosure so that his chameleon ability could keep up with the changes to the background. Then all it had taken was a quick strike as the penguins crossed by him, and he had dinner… Well… he had dinner and a very cold bath…

Harry's sliding on the ice with his forward moment from his pounce, right off of the penguins' icy ledge and into the frigid waters, taught him an important lesson on picking his hunting locations wisely. After spewing out the fish flavored water and shaking himself off, Harry had learned that he had to take the entire environment into account when he went on a hunt. He was learning, and doing so at a prodigious rate for a young cub that had no elder to teach him. Some lessons were just learned the hard way. However, by the end of his penguin hunting escapades he had a meal and was able to answer the age old question with a yes; yes, penguin did in fact taste like chicken.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you little pipsqueak!" said a voice to Harry's left, followed by a shove that made Harry take a step to the right and break out of his reminiscing. Looking up, Harry looked into the eyes of a kid of about the age of 13 or 14, bulky but with what appeared to be a bit of muscle to him. The kid's beady eyes glared down at Harry. "I was walking here, and unless you want a beating, you better scram!" The kid grunted at Harry, raising a fist menacingly.

A bit amused, Harry thought to himself, "Human's are so stupid. If he had any sense of smell, then this kid should have known that you don't go about poking a predator." Musing to himself, "Hmmm, I am a bit peckish, that Stan just didn't stick to the ribs like he should have… though his ribs were mighty tasty. Perhaps I should see if younger humans taste better… perhaps with a bit of lemon?"

Harry's introspection was again violated by a shove from the larger kid. "Hey stupid! Yeah, I'm talking to you freak! Scram before I beat you into a pulp." The kid menaced, attempting to puff out his chest and "loom" over Harry. "Well that decides it." Harry thought to himself, "I am prey for no human!"

Harry looked up at the bully for a second, and then a gleam could be seen in his eye. Quick as a wink, Harry stuck his tongue out at the bully and then stomped on the kid's foot hard, probably bruising or breaking some of the bones in it.

"Nanny Nanny Boo Boo, You can't catch me!" Harry said, acting like a little kid. Harry had always been a fast little boy, always having to avoid his cousin and his cousin's "gang" when they went on their "Harry Hunting" expeditions. With Harry's new "Upgrades," there was no way the bully was going to catch Harry… unless Harry let him…

Taking off at a sprint, but not fast enough to leave the hobbling bully in the dust, Harry broke away from the pack of kids, the bully right on his tale.

Harry wove down paths that were little used. Under "Do Not Enter" ropes, and around "Danger, Stay Out, Employee's Only" signs, further and further away from the crowds of visitors and workers. Always taunting, staying just one step ahead of the large bully. Harry had perfected the art of enraging "behemoths" for years, and all of his practice in running from his cousin and gang had helped him to gage exactly what the bully's abilities were when it came to a dogged chase scene.

Finally, rounding a corner, Harry entered a back alley way between two of the Zoo's perimeter grounds-keeping buildings, a "U" shaped dead end was formed by the two buildings, with only a dumpster and no door out of the dead end other than the opening of the U. The bully followed right behind Harry, blocking off Harry's ability to escape with a evil grin.

"Ah hah! Now I have you, you little pipsqueak! I'm going to make you wish you were never born!" The bully growled with glee, slowly limping into the dead end formed by the buildings.

"I'm sorry, but I already regret that I was born a human…" Harry said in a monotone voice, slowly turning around to face the bully. "However, you are mistaken." Harry now informed the bully, slowly walking towards the bully, his face totally devoid of any emotion.

The bully's face showed he was a bit of a startled, incredulity washed over his features; this isn't how the prey was supposed to act… "Something wasn't right about this kid," the bully thought, some long forgotten instinct in his head screaming at him to run, and run fast! The bully's thoughts and instinct wavered and battled inside of him, whether to pound the smaller boy or to run away; ultimately causing the bully to stop his forward momentum towards Harry.

Continuing from his last statement, Harry waxed "I am afraid that it is I who has YOU… not the other way around." And with a sudden leap Harry pounced on the bully, jumping a good 5 feet through the air to wrap his hands around the bully's throat and to latch his now exposed fangs into the bully's collar area.

Blood flew through the air as Harry tore his head back from the bully's neck, Harry pushing himself off of the taller bully so that he landed back on his feet. Looking back at the Bully, black foam bubbling up from the side of the older boy's neck, collarbone poking out of the skin, the bully only had the chance to say, "What?" before he collapsed; dead on the ground.

"Hmmm," Harry thought, "Not a bad hunt… Different strategy, yes, but overall effectiveness is the same. Next time I will have to try out a chase myself." Harry mused, giving himself a step by step playback of the hunt.

"I think my venom is getting more powerful also. Mental note, compare different human and animal body weights and the time it takes till death from exposure to venom… oh yeah, and also how long of a bite I need to administer to get the best results; don't want to run out of venom if I need to make a couple bites on a couple prey all at the same time…" He thought to himself, then his attention was brought back to focus on the dead, former, bully that lay at his feet.

"That blood pool probably should be dealt with; I don't want to spoil the hunting grounds by giving away my presence too soon. There is still so much to learn here!" He thought. Looking down at the corpse, it didn't look that appetizing at the moment, the kid really was made of more fat than juicy muscle.

"Oh well, I'm not that hungry, but I really shouldn't let a prepared meal go to waste. Mother taught me not to waste… well then again, my mother didn't teach me that, but my Aunt sure did beat that into me." Harry said out loud to himself. Perhaps he was getting kind of lonely being a one of a kind animal?

With that, Harry unhinged his jaw and began the task of "cleaning up" the scene of his latest hunt.

* * *

If there was one thing that Harry had learned while living at the zoo it was that the natural order of the world was kill or be killed. Rodents and other animals ate insects, insects ate other insects, birds ate rodents, and other animals ate birds or smaller animals. Heck, some animals even ganged up together to eat larger animals. The problem with humans was just that, they had ganged up together to eat, capture, or control the other animals. Sure, a python could kill an individual human, a lion pack could even maul several humans at a time… but eventually, the human's came en mass and killed off the animal that had "dared" to follow the rules of nature.

Harry knew that at the age of just ten, he had a long way to go before he could ever be a serious threat to the large population of the humans. Sure he could hunt them individually, but it would take ingenuity and powerful abilities to bring the entire population of humans back in line with their proper place on the food chain. Sure it could be done, for hundreds of years Human's had been subject to being part of the food chain, but then civilization came. Their electric power, combustion engines, and construction tools and materials protected them and removed them from the way the world was supposed to be. Harry would have to do something about that eventually, but first he needed to get a handle on his own abilities.

He wasn't too sure about this "magic" thing. In speaking with the roaches and other insects who frequented the park, whether the insects were scavenging the trash or stored as food for some of the animals, Harry learned that he was in fact a wizard; or at least had been a wizard before his upgrades. However, that meant one very important thing to Harry, that if the animals could recognize a wizard, it was because there were other wizards out there.

Harry couldn't remember ever meeting a wizard. Sure, there were the weird people in old-fashioned dresses that bowed to him on the street once in a while, and he had a partial memory of a large man and a flying motorcycle, but he didn't know where in the food chain the wizards were. But surely he would remember other people doing magic, right? If he didn't see them, where they just as egotistical and separate from nature as the normal humans, or were they a group that Harry could join with? Ultimately, Harry didn't know if the wizards would be pack… or prey.

A week had gone by since he had eaten the former bully, and Harry had found the chance to chase some "prey" rather than just let it come to him. Apparently penguins where just not filling enough, nor were they much of a challenge once you learned not to slide into the ice cold water. So he had gone and taken down a few gazelle, they couldn't dodge very much when trapped in an enclosure, and he had even learned to fight a Kudu the size of a bull elk (Mental note to Harry: even with chitinous armor, the blunt force of horns hitting you in the chest hurt!) So it was that after 4 days of snacking on the game in the zoo, Harry had again gone looking for Human Prey.

Harry didn't have many offensive abilities beside his bite and his abnormal strength. Though his venom seemed to have grown stronger with time, Harry's strength was no more abnormal than any other 10 year old who had the strength of a 250 pound muscle-builder. Sure he was strong in human terms, exceptionally strong when it came to a 10 year old, but he wasn't at superhero or supervillain levels of strength. Nor was Harry some master of a lost martial art called "Roach-fu" or "Serpent-do", so his primary methods for initiating a hunt were still to lay in wait and then to spring out and catch the prey unaware.

His method had worked pretty well. He had caught another bully; this time a gum snapping girl, with bleach blonde hair and more pounds of make-up than brain cells, that had been along on another school field trip to the zoo. After watching the girl and her "goons" tease a mousey haired brunette with buck teeth, a rat's nest of hair and a backpack full of books, he had laid in wait for the blonde near the lady's water closet. Prey that didn't know there place irked Harry; and picking on another being because they were smarter and knew more facts about the animals around them reminded Harry of how the Dursleys had used to treat him. If anything, that certainly deserved death…

From his perch above the water fountain next to the lady's room, he watched as the brunette ran towards the ladies room, tears streaming from her eyes; the blonde leaving her friends behind to tail the brunette and yell more insults at her. Just as the door closed after the brunette's entrance into the lady's room, and after the blonde's friends had turned around the corner, Harry "uncloaked" himself and sprang onto the back of the blonde.

The blonde let out an ear shattering "SCREAAAAAAAAMMMMM!" Causing Harry to quickly latch his hand over the girls mouth and pull her back against the wall. One of his arms trapped her against his body while the other one covered her mouth and stifled any attempt to make a sound. Her thrashing and kicking were completely ineffective against his greater strength and chitin covered armor. He had her!

The door to the lady's room suddenly sprang back open! The brunette, with tear tracks running down her face from the tears that had just stopped, looked out into the hall… but didn't see anything.

Shrugging, Hermione Granger reentered the lady's room to clean up her face and grab her books that she had left behind when she had reacted to the scream…

Fading back into view, Harry and his prey decloaked from the wall, his hand not covering her mouth wrapped around her neck, forcing her to hold still and cutting off any ability to scream… "Hmmm," Harry thought, still holding onto the blonde, "I guess my ability to blend in is growing and evolving to cover that which is on my person or control…"

"Oh well," He said with a shrug, "something to look in on later when I'm not playing with my food…" He said with an evil smile. With that, Harry dragged the wide-eyed girl through the janitor's exit, stationed next to the water closets, and out into the back of the building.

Behind the building, a dirt and cinder path trailed back into the undeveloped parts of the zoo, the trail seeming to start at the back of the building and head off into no-where, trees and heavy foliage lined the path. Aiming the girl towards the trail, hand still wrapped around the blonde's throat, Harry leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Run little mouse, run, or I'll catch you[SSSS]" He finished with a hiss in her ear. With that, he took his hands off of her and gave her a push in the direction of the path…

The blonde was too scared to breath, too scared to scream; all she could do was run! She bounded down the path in front of her, hoping to escape the deranged boy, thing, whatever, that was behind her…

"1, 2, 3… 5… oh heck, ready or not, here I come little mouse!" Harry yelled out, a gleam in his eye as he sprinted down the path; the chase was on!

The blonde ran and ran, tears now coming from her eyes… Tears so similar to that which the brunette had just been shedding not a moment before… She could hear the pounding feet behind her… Gaining on her!

Slowly, her legs started to give out, she wasn't used to exercise like this… She ran, until an exposed root caught her foot… and she fell!

Expecting the worst, she cringed down into a tight ball, protecting herself… waiting for the finish!...

But nothing happened…

First opening one eye… and then the other… The blonde looked up at the path she had just ran down… Dust from the path drifting up and to get caught in the trails of tears that had been running down her cheeks, smearing her caked on makeup… Makeup for which without she would have been a very ugly girl… just as ugly as she was inside. The path behind her was totally empty, and the area around her was absolutely silent.

Gasping, she stood up, trying to catch her breath. She looked down the trail in the direction she had been running, bent to catch her breath, and then turned around to go back towards the building and her friends…

SHE WAS HIT! Just as she had turned to face the return path, she was struck in the side of the chest by the full weight of the boy who had flown at her in a gravity defying pounce from out of the foliage!…

Her last sight was of pure green eyes, and a large mouth, with very large fangs…

* * *

"Hmmm, girls are sugar and spice and everything nice…" Harry mused to himself as he thought back to his conquest of the last bully. "I still think it could use a bit of lemon, or salt..." Harry mused. He despised bully's, for they were the epitome of the weak, the epitome of prey who didn't know their place in the natural order, Freaks of nature!…

The problem that Harry was facing at that moment was that the bobbies were starting to suspect something; noting the increased foot and bike patrols of police throughout the zoo. He was sure that the bones of the girl would eventually be found.

"I guess you can only pin so many killings on the chimpanzees before the police start to look elsewhere…" Harry mused to himself "God do I hate those poo throwers! I even refuse to eat them, never know where they had been or what they had … touched… "Harry said with a shiver. Gliding down a path with a food court on it, Harry snagged an ice cream cone from a vendor who wasn't paying attention and went to sit at a table. He sat, back against the wall of the shaded gazebo, facing the crowds of happy humans pointing at the animals, and he started to think.

"It's only a matter of time before these human authorities come after me again. Not to think that they would ever help me when I needed them, but too many bodies and animals have disappeared from the zoo… It's only a matter of time before they start hunting me or close the zoo and try and trap me inside…" Harry mused to himself while watching the masses go by, totally oblivious to the predator that was outside of any enclosure. "What I need to do," He said out loud, "Is get far far away from here." "I need to gain some new abilities, and I need to have the time and freedom to gain control of my magic, figure out what it can really do!" Finishing the last part of his sentence at a whisper.

Looking down at his ice cream cone, he swallowed the cone and the last scoop in one gulp, dusted off his hands from the bits of cone that had flaked off onto him, and then got up to look down into one of the local displays.

"But where the bloody hell could I go to get away from all these bloody people!" Turning around towards the display behind him, his words died in his throat as he looked out over the London Zoo's pack of lions. "Brilliant!" Harry yelled out, startling the zoo patron's around him.

Quickly running through the zoo, Harry made a pit-stop at the Seal Exhibit, and then headed towards the back door of the Reptile House.

His belly full for the trip, Harry grabbed the paper work from the table just inside the door, dragged a crate out to the loading bay and then posted warning labels all over the box so that nobody would check on the contents of the crate. Attaching his paperwork to the top of the crate, Harry crawled into the crate and sealed the door closed, pulling so hard that the nails embedded in the crate's wooden door sealed the box shut just as securely as if it had been done from the outside. Closing his eyes, Harry fell into a deep peaceful sleep.

An hour later, a truck for the "Approved Wildlife Re-Introduction Program, Royal Zoological Society of the United Kingdom" rolled up and took the crate away, sending Harry and his crate onto the first leg of his long journey…

End destination: Kruger National Park, South Africa.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to all those who reviewed. It is because of you that I published this long chapter so quickly after the last one. I wrote this today, so enjoy. I'm of the mindset that more reviews equates to more, and longer, chapters. Best wishes!**


	4. Chapter 4: Death In The Long Grass

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, blah blah blah I don't make money off of this blah blah blah… There's your disclaimer.

**AN: People asked when Harry is going to Hogwarts… my reply, read the story and find out. I may give hints to you via a reply to your review, but I am NOT going to tell the plot before I write it (probably because I don't exactly know the plot before I write it, it kind of writes itself*). Frankly, if I have to live with it, so do you! Thanks for all the reviews; they inspire me to write more. Best wishes, and on with the Show!**

* * *

[Parcel]

/Creepy Crawlies/

**{Beast Speak}**

(foreign languages)

**Chapter 4: Death in the Long Grass…**

"Being charged by a bull elephant can be quite a thrill. Don't climb a tree, by the way." – A lesson learned from "Death In The Long Grass" by Peter Capstick

As the large crate was lugged off of the rusty truck, the two African smugglers panted and swayed under the heavy load, hoping that their theft would lead to great riches for the two of them. Apparently they didn't read English; otherwise they would have realized that a crate stamped with twenty-five different "WARNING" signs may not be the best item to steal…

Poaching animal parts is a big industry in Africa, whether for traditional medicine used in the Eastern Asian regions or, as in the case with most magical animals killed, potion supplies. A daily battle takes place in the African veldt, it is a battle to the death between AK-47 toting poachers and M-16 and 50-calibur machinegun wielding game rangers. You would think that the ranger's would have the advantage, but with the Kruger National Park taking up 2 million hectares of land and the few number of rangers or police, the animals are often ripe for the slaughter. This truth can also be said for many other parts of Africa. Though some authorities try very hard, and warehouses of ivory tusks and animal parts are seized, corruption is rampant and the countries are poor. Often it just takes a few Rand slapped into the "right" hand, and two men are able to swipe a crate of "rare-animals" out of a protected warehouse. Having secreted the large crate out of the cargo warehouse at the Cape Town International airport and onto their truck, the two men drove north out of the city for five hours and parked in the bushveldt of the Free State, near the border with Lesotho.

The two were hoping for a baby rhino, the horns were worth a lot of money on the black market where they would be ground up and sold to Asian men hoping to increase their libido. Even a small leopard would be worth the effort that it took to carry the 300 pound crate all the way out here to the wilderness. They would be thrilled to get a magical animal, as pretty much any part of them could be used for potions. It's probably important to note that the magic and the mundane communities tended to mix a lot more on the African continent. With animalistic and ancestor/spirit worship based religions abundant, the mix between magic and the everyday life was strongly intertwined. Many magical institutes and scientific communities would be shocked to find out that they both agreed that life probably began somewhere in Africa; and the magic of the land was still very alive and strong to this day.

One of the men readied his club as the other prepared to use a crowbar on the crate. Working as a team that had pulled this heist before, one of the men opened the crate with the crowbar and pulled the door of the crate off, quickly jumping out of the way so that the man with the club could jump in and club whatever animal existed inside the large box...

However, this is when their career of smuggling took a definite turn for the worse… The box was empty.

One man looked at the other, "(What the hell! How is it so empty and yet so Heavy?) He cursed in Zulu.

(I don't know, did they line the box with lead or something? It weighs so much!) The second replied in the same language, anger and confusion written across his face.

Just then, the sound of a *YAWN* coming from the inside of the crate interrupted the two men before they could begin arguing or fighting with each other about who's idea it was steal an empty box...

Looking at each other in open mouth confusion, they both turned their bodies around and stuck their heads in the box for a second look.

Suddenly, two smallish hands shot out of the box's opening, wrapping around one man's neck and hooking the jaw of the one with the open mouth, pulling both of them into box kicking and SCREAMING!

(DEMON! AAGGGGHHHHH Blah!) one said, quickly expiring…

The second one didn't really say anything…

Those Zulu *clicks* in the back of the mouth are especially hard to do when one doesn't have a tongue… It's especially of hard to say anything, no matter the language, when you don't have a head...

The box shook for a second, and then, the legs of both men disappear into the box...

*Burp*

"Blah, when did these two guys bathe last!" Harry's voice could be heard issuing from the box, "They taste almost as bad as Stan!" Said Harry, spitting out a piece of one of the man's rubber shoes.

Sticking out his tongue to taste the wind outside the box, Harry was able to ascertain that there were no more human's about.

Stepping out of the box, he continued to taste the wind [Hisssss] His flickering tongue telling him that the wind was full of flavors, full of smells... it was full of animal smells, both predator and prey.

He was here, he had made it to Africa, he smiled his large evil smile. "Time to become one with the wild" Harry thought as he faded into the background...

His clothes suddenly became visible and dropped to the ground, and then there was no trace of Harry Potter.

* * *

Africa is a damn dangerous place to be, pretty much anything can kill you. The centipedes are full of cyanide, the spiders are pretty much all poisonous and some grow to be a foot across in diameter. If the insects don't get you, why then the local snakes go by the fun English translations of "minute man" and "two step"; implying that if one snake bites you it only takes a minute for the venom to kill a full grown man, or that the other one bites you, you take a step, stumble another, and die. Even the cute little things can kill you.

Take the "bambi" of the bushveldt for instance, the little Duiker. This cute little deer with cute brown eyes stands at roughly 40 centimeters at the shoulder and weighs about 15 kilogram's on average; for those American's out there, that's less than two feet tall and about 33 pounds. These "cuddly" little guys are herbivores; patiently and meekly eat vegetation in the forests and plains of South Africa…

However, if you piss off this little bugger, they've been known to cover about 100 meters in record breaking speeds and will attack you with its little 2 to 3 inch horns. Now 2 to 3 inch horns don't sound like much, until you realize that they are razor sharp, serrated, and big game hunters have recorded instances of the Duiker gutting a lion that injured it, and then turning on the big game hunter near by, only to spill his guts on the ground also… Isn't Africa such a lovely place to live? Don't get me started on the proverbial "Big Five" animals, the most "dangerous" animals to hunt. Surprisingly, the Lions and leopards are the light weights in the human killing category, it's the hippo's and the water buffalo you really need to watch out for…

Into this crazy food chain called South Africa stepped a naked Harry Potter. If Harry wanted to be the preeminent predator on earth and beat back the humans, he first needed to survive the veldt. Even with his magic and his abilities it was going to be a tough call, for better trained individuals had tried. In fact, the South African military regularly dumped its special forces guys butt-naked into the veldt; if they were still alive in three weeks when the helicopter came to pick them back up, then they are able to join the special forces. This is what 10 year old Harry Potter willingly walked into.

* * *

[hisss] Harry quietly tested the wind as he crawled through the grass towards the herd of impala. His first few fruitless hunts had taught him the lesson of staying down-wind from the herd and laying low.

He had first attempted to use his chameleon skills to just walk slowly towards the herd, just as he had gone after the penguins back at the zoo. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't taken into account the fact that the animals at the zoo did not equate the "human" smell as that of a predator; well, at least not at first when he started hunting them. The animals on the veldt were a tiny bit different…

Thinking back to his first hunt, he had a lot to be thankful for in that he learned his lessons quickly, if not painlessly…

Thank god for his chitinous armor, for when the herd of water buffalo he had been hunting smelled Harry, they were ticked off! They couldn't see him, but water buffalo are incredibly intelligent; much to Harry's chagrin in thinking that big meant dumb… at least that is what he had learned from dealing with the Dursleys.

The water buffalo knew Harry was there, they just couldn't see him. So, just as they would deal with a lion who dared to hunt them through the long grass, they all turned to face Harry... and Charged!

"Uh oh" had been about the extent of Harry's witty comments when faced with the combined charging weight of two M1-Abrams tanks coming at him. A heard of charging animals with big pointy horns and muscles that require a heart the size of a full grown man's head are not to be messed with lightly…

Fortunately, or unfortunately as it seemed at the time, the water buffalo's didn't see Harry, so they were content to only run him over once rather than circling around or tracking him until they could pound him into oblivion…

That experience had taught Harry many things as he shook off the shock of having his head stepped on and his proverbial arse kicked:

1. Big does not mean dumb when it comes to animals, only Humans; better yet, better double check to make sure that is true…

2. Approach from downwind and stay low to the ground, it protects the important bits… that horn had really hurt!

3. You must be able to outsmart your prey. Learn how they react and plan for it!

4. Harry Potter is not invincible…

It was the last one that had really drilled the point home, literally. In the center of Harry's right leg was a puncture wound the size of an apple, pierced right through his hip, shattering the covering of chitinous armor; a horn that had gotten in a lucky hit. On a child of ten's body, an apple sized wound to the leg threatened to tear the entire leg off. He knew he healed quickly, but he didn't know if he could grow back a lost limb… and losing a limb in the middle of the veldt was a death sentence!

Other places on his body had shown cracked armor, and he looked like he had spider webs of bruising leaking through the armor across his chest where he had been stepped on in the stampede…

Fortunately, he had healed very quickly after he was able to feed. However, he had had to resort to climbing a tree and laying in wait for the first animal to come his way… Unfortunately, and to his eternal disgust, he had to eat some kind of monkey… "Blah!" Harry grumbled as he spit out a mouthful of fur "This poo thrower even has a bright red arse! This is disgusting!" Harry had complained between forced munches of raw primate. That memory would haunt him and drill the lesson into his brain to the end of his days… God did he hate monkeys! *Shiver*

Drawing his attention back to the Impalas Harry was in the process of hunting, he noticed that the herd had shifted closer to his position… "Perfect" he thought to himself as he crawled his armor clad body through the grass...

The combination of the chitin and the pigment in his skin had turned him into a tanned brownish color that matched well with the grass; so even without his chameleon ability he would have been able to blend in somewhat. He had taken to wearing his full armor all the time now after having spent his time in the tree eating the monkey *Bleck* to gain conscious control of his armor ability. Before that, it had always just been his magic that brought the armor out to protect him when he needed it. Now though, he looked like a cross between a heavily armored beetle and a knight in plate-mail. He had grown also, stronger, taller, and faster… as little boys are apt to do, and especially little boys with advanced abilities…

Creeping through the grass, pushing it out of his way slowly so that he was in the perfect "blind" to pounce on the impala, he picked his target. Towards the edge of the herd was a solitary doe who had wandered a bit from the main bulk of the herd; following a particular "tasty" line of grass… Grass that happened to lead the impala right towards Harry's hiding place.

Sticking his tongue out with anticipation, a lot like the old basketball player Michael Jordon, Harry leaped through the air, probably putting the old basketball star to shame with Harry's athleticism and airtime...

*Pounce* Harry let his weight drive the Doe into the earth, breaking its back and allowing him to grab the doe around the neck; It was then that he smelled the lions who had apparently been hunting the same herd…

A lioness jumped out of the brush about 10 feet to Harry's right and rushed by Harry to snag a buck impala… digging her claws in and crushing its neck with her teeth!

The herd scattered! Running away from the two equally terrifying, yet differently equipped, predators that attacked them… Right into the waiting pride of lions who had been hidden in the grass on the right and left sides of the herd, a perfect pincher maneuver!

Harry noted that he could learn a lot from this group, if only he had a pack of his own… That's when Harry's real trouble began…

It was a relatively large pride of lions, and due to Harry's "interference" some of the pride would go hungry due to the herd startling too quickly… Harry noted, that if Lion's had expressions… these lions would definitely be termed "Not Happy Disney Singing Type Lions."

Now it came down to not only protecting Harry's kill, but also protecting his own life…

Keeping an arm wrapped around the impala, Harry crouched down and started to drag his kill back into the brush… Keeping his head down, he made sure to constantly be moving his head so that any movement would be seen by in his peripheral vision. Ever so slowly backing away from the now prowling pride so as not to show any fear or weakness…

If one was to see into the minds of the lions, they would note that they had never smelled an "animal" like Harry before, nor had they seen anything like him; though he did smell a bit like humans, an animal which they hunted yet also feared…

Growling, the lions started to spread out around the retreating figure, if Harry wanted to get out of this alive, he was going to have to give up his kill, or fight the lions…

Fortunately for Harry, he noted as he quickened his pace to back away from the pride, most of the lions had broken off and were starting to devour the 4 impala that they had caught… that only left about 3 lions to deal with… still not a number Harry wanted to tangle with if he had to, but he wanted his kill! No way in hell was he going to be stuck eating monkey again; and if the lion's wanted his kill, they were going to have to take it over his dead body!

Apparently, the lions thought that the "dead body" arrangement would work well for them…

Catching movement off to his left, Harry ducked down into a crouch and animalisticly spread his hands wide like claws, dropping the impala carcass, and [HISSSSSSSING!] in rage at the lion that had started to dart at him!

This had the effect of bringing the lion skidding to a stop in the dirt, still out of range of Harry…

The lion was startled; this armored being sounded like the big predator snakes… Even a pride of lions wasn't stupid enough to tangle with a black mamba on the hunt, and this "creature" sounded just like one, and it's almost glowing green eyes were definitely off putting… It even had the slight smell of a snake…

But still, hunger was a powerful motivator, and unfortunately for Harry, these lions were hungrier than they were fearful... The 3 lions all twitched their tales, and then charged him at the same time...

Testing the wind with his tongue, Harry had gauged their intent and sprang into action, pouncing forward towards the middle lion! Effectively escaping the flanking action of the two lionesses he drove the startled male lion into the ground...

Harry was able to bite the male lion's shoulder before he was flung off of its back, rolling across the dusty ground and then back to his feet.

Shuffling his feet to brace himself, the dust billowing up around him, he prepared to meet the other two lions who had landed and were now charging at him…

*POW!* The two female lions met Harry at the same time, blowing him over and devolving the battle into a slashing smashing biting roil on the ground!

Harry was able to punch the first lion in the head while she attempted to sink her teeth into Harry's collar and neck, crunching down with her jaws in an attempt to either wrip him to pieces or suffocate him! Harry retaliated with a quick swing of his head to the right, biting the lioness on the face, while using his feet and hands to try and throw the other lion off of his chest!…

The second lioness had latched her mouth onto his upper arm and was scrabbling her claws against his belly and thighs in an attempt for her hind claws to disembowel, or neuter, Harry...

Fortunately, the lionesses' claws and jaws were unable to penetrate the armor on either his stomach, privies, or on his hand and shoulder where they had latched onto him. They just didn't have the sharpness to penetrate his armored torso, nor the crushing power in their jaws to penetrate through the thick ridges that protected his jugular vein and throat…

Releasing his bite on the face of the lion gnawing on his neck, Harry jabbed his finger from his free hand into the eye of the lion that was thrashing its teeth on his other arm, effectively poking out the eye and gaining a handhold by which to pry her off his other hand. The burst fluid from the ruined eye spilled down his hand and arm, the pain of the ruined eye and Harry's grasp forcing the lion to let go of his trapped hand, and causing the lion to thrash its head about with a cry of pain… The lion furiously attempted to free herself from Harry's probing finger and hand clenching and digging into the uppermost part of her skull and muzzle!

But now it was Harry's turn to strike back! He felt the clenching pressure on his shoulder release, and the claws of the first lioness slow their scrabbling on his armored belly as she succumbed to his powerful venom…

Still partially trapped under the weight of the first lioness who was now in at its moment of death, Harry focused his full attention on the thrashing crying lioness who was attempting to get him to release his grip on her face… No longer was she thinking of attacking, only escaping this terrifying creature that had already killed two of her pride; the male lion having quickly died in convulsions from Harry's toxic bite.

Harry was having none of it, the rules of nature had to be followed, and one of the number one rules was, you tangle with a higher level predator, you pay the price, and oh was the second lioness going to pay…

Left arm now freed from the jaws of the lioness, Harry rolled out from under the weight of the dead lioness and whipped out his left hand and grabbed the thrashing one-eyed lioness by the throat, cutting off the blood flow from her jugulars to her brain, and bringing all of his strength to choke out any ability for her to breath!

"*Rooahnwwwwwggggglglgl…..*" The lioness's growl turned into a gasping gurgle as she lost the ability to send air over her vocal cords.

Standing up, both hands firmly attached to the head of the lioness, Harry pulled the 180 pound lioness up off the ground, her legs flailing to get some traction on the ground, or, to try and disembowel Harry.

Growling at the lion in return Harry released the throat of the lioness, but before she had a chance to draw in a breath, he plunged his left thumb into the lioness's good eye, and began to pull his arms apart!

Harry's muscles bulged until… *POP*… The lioness's skull cracked apart, spewing grey matter, spinal fluid and blood across Harry and the ground… By this point the other lions in the pride had all stood up and were facing Harry…

Harry turned his baleful glare against the other lions, dropped the mangled corpse of the lioness, and then **[HIIISSSSSSSSSSSSed!] **at the lion pride...

Harry's magic awoke, his arms beginning to rise, an eerie light illuminating Harry's eyes, and an ethereal wind started to pick up around Harry; blowing the dust around him and seeming to pick the blood from the pool up around him and swirl it up into a mini twister that threatened to hide his figure from the lions... The still living lions started to back away, the unnaturalness of this creature startling them, but it was too late!

Tentacles of flesh and blood from the ruined lioness struck out of the whirlwind surrounding Harry, slicing into the lions closest to him! Whipping through the bodies of the three lions closest to him with so much force, one lion was bisected in a heartbeat, another beheaded and the third one was ripped apart by two straining tentacles that had wrapped around its head and hind legs!

At this point the surviving lions decided that Yes, they were hungry, but most of all, they weren't stupid!

Turning tail and running, whining like kicked kittens, the large cats scattered into the brush, leaving their kills and former pride members behind…

"AAAAAAGGGGGRRRRRRGGGHHH!" Harry gave a yell in triumph as the cloud of blood, dust and guts surrounding him exploded outwards, covering his surroundings… It was "a bit" impressive, but only "a bit" impressive... It would have been "seriously" impressive if he hadn't been a pre-pubescent boy with a voice as high pitched as a soprano…

Slumping his shoulders and taking a big deep breath, Harry closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax… the wind around him ceased to swirl… leaving Harry alone in the trampled grass with the corpses of four impala and five lions; the mangled lioness who was eaten by his magic was more like a thin layer of red paste smeared across the surroundings.

Looking around, Harry paused for a moment, and then went about emotionlessly cleaning up his kill. There was no way that he could eat all of the meat surrounding him, so he went about eating the choice parts out of the impala and swallowed a fawn that had been downed. He then started to open up the dead lions and eat the choice organs.

The corpses of the lions gave him an idea. Making sure not to damage the skins of the lions as much as was possible, he yanked the claws out of the body of a lioness and used them to skin the male and relatively whole lioness. He figured that he had gone on long enough with unprotected "dangly bits." When those two lionesses had tackled him, he had come mighty close to "never getting a girlfriend," so perhaps it was time to make a loincloth that covered over the chitinous plate that protected most of his privies. Perhaps giving up on all of parts of human civilization wasn't the best idea overall, clothes definitely had their purpose...

Using the lioness's hide as his protection, he carried the large male's hide off as his trophy and trooped back to the trees that he slept in. It would be night soon, and night on the veldt was both very dark… and very dangerous.

* * *

**AN: Well, I have another 4000 words written up, but this felt like a good stopping spot for this chapter. I've received a lot of good reviews, and it's because of those reviews that I post chapters so frequently. Keep them coming, keep inspiring me, and I'll keep on writing! Best wishes!**


	5. Chapter 5: Finding A Balance

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry potter, and the names of people in this story are just made up to protect the innocent and the insane, I don't gain any monetary value from this work.

**AN1: Thanks for all of the reviews. As I answered back to you, you really did get me thinking on things to add to these next few chapters, as well as how and to what extent to develop Harry's character and what I want to happen in this story. For me, reviews really do equate to more writing because it inspires me to be creative and write more.**

**AN2: For the individual(s) who commented on the Zulu language. I'm not sure about the comment about the Khosian languages, because yes, you are right. The Khosian tribes were separate from the Zulu's, the Zulu's speak Zulu. I'm not sure if I'm answering your statement right, but the Zulu language does in fact have clicks in it; at least the Zulu's who spoke to me on the farm that I lived on south of Joe'burg, in the Free State, did. They spoke Zulu to me and the owner of the farm, and their language entails making clicks with the back of their tongue in order to properly say certain words. They used to get a thrill out of laughing at the American boy who couldn't say some of their "easiest" words, yet doggedly tried. I hope this helps? **

* * *

[Parsel]

/Creepy crawler/

**{Beast Speak}**

**Chapter 5: Finding a Balance**

Unfortunately, the balance of nature decrees that a super-abundance of dreams is paid for by a growing potential for nightmares.  
Author: Peter Ustinov

To most, sleeping in a tree would be considered cramped and uncomfortable. To Harry Potter, who was used to sleeping in a damp small cupboard, the branches of the Baobab tree that he rested upon were like living in a penthouse suite. The night had been relatively peaceful and Harry slept soundly amongst the night blooming white flowers and broad "root like" branches of the Baobab; that is he slept peacefully until something *Popped* and the sound pulled him out of his sleep. The large trees were the favorite hunting ground of the African leopards, so when something made a *Popping* sound from beneath the branch that Harry was laying on, he was wide awake and ready for action.

Looking around from his high vantage point at the top of the large tree Harry didn't see anything unusual or out of the norm for his environment. Though the popping sound repeated sporadically underneath him, he didn't hear any change in the normal night sounds that would have alerted him to an intruder passing under his tree.

That was why he was startled when he flicked out his tongue and tasted the wind. Somewhere, very close to the base of his tree, somebody had started a fire and was warming them self by it; the flavor of fire warmed skin drifting up to him through the tree branches.

Slowly, and as quietly as possible, Harry glided through the branches of the tree towards the ground and a better vantage point to deal with the "intruder" to Harry's home.

Coming to a stop on a branch above fire, yet still in the tree's shadows, Harry was able to distinguish a lone black African man sitting with his face to the fire, eyes closed. The man wore a spotted wrap that looked to be made from the hide of a very large leopard; the wrap continuing to cover part of the man's chest and come up and over his shoulder like a toga. The man's hair had been painted with some sort of red dye or mud that kept it closely napped to his head and he wore a necklace that appeared to be made out of the knuckle bones and claws of animals, and possibly humans.

Perturbed to be both interrupted in his sleep, and a little ticked off at himself for getting caught off guard and not hearing this intruder before he was already under "his" home and had lit a fire, Harry prepared to pounce and get himself a bit of a late night snack.

Just as Harry was tensing his muscles for the spring, the man opened his eyes and looked right at Harry and the branch he was on, his face totally emotionless except for the startling golden slit eyes that looked right into Harry's!

"Come down an seet by da' fire Mr. Potter, Fore I Have Much to talk to ya Aboot." The man's said, a quiet and yet very deep voice that seemed to vibrate in Harry's chest as if a large cat had purred the message.

Startled, Harry lost his balance on the tree branch, and ended up dropping to the ground in a "less than elegant position;" basically Harry fell out of the tree and landed on his ass.

Brushing himself off with chagrin, he turned to the man who had startled him, angry at both himself and this intruder who mysteriously knew his name, and [HIISSSSSSED!] at the man!

"**Do Not HISSSS at me boy! For ya d'know not what predator ya' be facing!" **The man said with a deep menacing grumble, his eyes flashing gold and his teeth parting in a very sharp toothed smile. For an instant, the man's image was interposed with that of an ethereal leapord the size of a bull elephant. Harry would have shaken off the image as a mistake, if it wasn't for the fact that the "Man's" shadow, cast behind him by the fire and against the wide trunk of the Baobob, matched that of a giant leopard of some sort, crouched and ready to spring.

Harry straightened himself out of his defensive stance and took a step back, for though the man stayed sitting facing Harry, the "Man's" shadow sat up on its haunches like a Great Cat, and a shadowy tail could be seen to sway back and forth across the body of the tree.

"Wha… What are you?" Harry said, a bit frightened to be in the presence of something that, if the shadow was anything to go by, could possibly swallow him in one gulp. It was even more confusing as the "man" looked like a human, but smelled like a predator.

"I be Mutwa," the "man" replied. "As for wha' I am, I be like ya' in many of da' ways, but more in others."

This surprised Harry, and brought up other questions to his mind.

"Well, um, Mutwa, how do you know who I am? Better yet, how did you know I was here?" Harry said, still very cautious of this being that was seated across the fire from him.

"Da beasts did tel' me of ya. Da Lion's spirits of those ya killed, they did tel' of ya, and the spirits of da' GoGo* did tel' me of ya. Said I to come and teach ya', tell you of your path and where ya may go wrong. I here to trade, and to teach ya." Mutwa said, his unwavering stare unnerving in that he didn't seem to blink once since Harry had met him.

"Um, can we break that down into parts, I'm a little confused." Harry said, still keeping a good distance from the fire and Mutwa.

"Come, Sit down by da' fire, relax, I won't bite ya." Said Mutwa with a big smile, his mouth full of very sharp teeth that did nothing to make Harry feel at ease.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Harry mumbled to himself under his breath. Only the twitch of Mutwa's ear and the shift of his smile to that of a smirk told Harry that the man had heard his whisper.

Harry sat across from the golden eyed man and waited for him to say something… and waited… and waited.

Frustrated, Harry spat, "So what now? How did you talk to the beasts? How did you talk to the lions? And more importantly, who is this GoGo who told you about me?"

"Patience, dat be one of da things I'm ta teach ya cub. I speak to da lion's and der spirits because I am of da same animal; just as ya are of da snakes and d'hose who crawl upon the earth." As for GoGo, ya already know aboot her already… She is da lady, da Mother of all of us… of all around's us. We are born from da GoGo, We live'n on the GoGo, and when we die, we become part of da GoGo once again. D'hus the cycle continues." Mutwa said in a solemn voice, staring down at Harry.

"So GoGo is nature? Is Mother earth or something?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but ya already di'd know dat." Mutwa answered. "You be following her will, you be fight'n for her, but ya path, you about to fall off down da mount'n."

"What do you mean my path is leading me down the mountain? Now you have me really confused. Can't you speak without the riddles?" Harry said, confusion showing on his face.

Without answering Harry's last question, Mutwa continued his explanation. "Ya cannot continue killing just ta kill. It is not da right path, it is not the path to balance, but da path to death. No true predator kills simply ta kill. Only da humans kill without any reason."

"Ya'r path, the goals you fight for, da way you go a'boot it. Ya are going to fail and die if ya keep down da same path, da path where all da other animals went and lost." Mutwa said with a bit of sadness.

This last sentence struck Harry. "How am I going to die?" He asked, his full focus on Mutwa and his answer.

"Ya forget dat da Humans and da wizards have'n already beat down da animals, da beasts dat ya are trying to become." Mutwa stated, "Ya can't forget or ignore ya past… ya can't forget wha't ya started out as… ya are straying away from yo own instincts and dat will get ya killed." Mutwa continued, "Ya were bor'n human, ya were bor'n wizard, ya have da instincts of da animal, but ya never follow da instincts and lessons learned by da humans or wizards no mo. Dis will get ya kill'd."

Harry was struck by Mutwa's message, and took the moment to think back on his actions. As far back as Harry could remember, he had thought of himself as totally separate from the humans, something better than the humans. He hated what the humans had done to him and subconsciously didn't want to even use anything that could remind him of them. All this time he had been ignoring the fact that his ultimate enemy had weapons of their own and had already subjugated nature and the animals of the world. Thinking back to the lessons learned from his run in with the water buffalo, Harry knew that he had to learn about his prey so that he could predict their actions and evolve to overcome them. Better yet, he had to learn the tools of his enemy and turn it against them, use their own dependence on their tools as a weakness to exploit. He had been totally ignoring the largest obstacle to his goal of balancing out nature, the tools and abilities of the humans and the wizards.

"Ya be thinking, I see it, but ya not be seeing the whole picture. GoGo does not want all of da human's ta die, dey are a part of nature just as da animals and insects are, just as da plants are. Yes, da balance is not here, but da balance does not call for ya ta kill them all. Ya must find da balance in yaself as well as in nature." Mutwa explained.

This statement stabbed at Harry. The things he had seen and experienced at the hands of the humans and their civilization where brutal and an affront to nature. Animals did not beat their young. Even the lowliest insects cared for their young to a certain extent. He had yet to ever see any good in the humans, to see anything other than their freakishness. He had yet to meet any "good" or kind humans. Perhaps Mutwa could be termed as such, but he doubted Mutwa was any more human than he himself was. However, if Mutwa's fanged grin was anything to go on, he wasn't sure if Mutwa could be termed "good" either. Breaking away from his thoughts, Harry looked up from staring into the fire and faced Mutwa. "What can you do to help me? You mentioned training, you mentioned a trade?"

"Yes, da spirits will it dat I train ya, dat I adopt ya into da pack." Mutwa said with a fanged smile. "Da lions, dey like ya, dey tink dat ya would make a good cat." Then with a gleam in his golden eyes he said, "But my trade be better, I trade ya spirit for ya spirit. Then I train ya."

Harry didn't understand what Mutwa had said, but then it translated in his head he was shocked. "My spirit? What! You want my soul! What are you, some kind of demon or devil?" Harry said in wide eyed shock; not so sure if he should have accepted the offer to sit at Mutwa's fire.

"Ha ha ha ha ha. No boy. I be not devil, not Demon, just Mutwa. I be a bit magical yes, a witch doctor is Mutwa, but Mutwa is more"

"What do you mean by magical but more? Are you a wizard?" Harry said, still a bit untrusting of Mutwa and his still catlike shadow.

"Yes, some would ca'll me a wizard, but I be more, I be a witch doctor, not some weak willed animagus." Mutwa said, almost spitting out the word "animagus."

"What's the difference?" Harry asked "And what is this animagus thing that you say you aren't?" His interest now peaked at finally meeting a wizard; or a witch doctor as the case may be.

"I be able ta do da wizard magic, but I be more. I be one wit da spirits, dey tell me tings, teach me. More though, da GoGo, she gives me power." Mutwa continued "An animagus is da cheap imitation of da animal, da cheap imitation of da beast and what it can do. Da wizards dat are animagus take on da form of da animal, but not da spirit. Wit-out da spirit, dey do not have da power of da animal. Dey keep da mind of da wizard, de not be da animal. Wit da spirit, ya be da animal. Ya be one wit da power of GoGo." After saying this, Mutwa smiled again, a wicked smile. "I'm offering ya da trade, spirit for spirit, not ya spirit, but da one in ya head. GoGo be wanting to have a talk wit dat spirit." Mutwa said pointing across the fire at Harry's scar.

Putting his hand to his head in confusion, Harry traced his finger down his lightning-bolt scar. "What do you mean the spirit in my head? How can it not be my soul that you are talking about if it is in my head? What spirit are you offering me in return?"

"Da darkness in ya head, GoGo tell me dat it be da spirit of da dark wizard who gave ya dat scar. A bit of his spirit be sucking on your soul like da leech dat he was to da world. GoGo be wanting ta have a talk'n ta da spirit, and it ain't going ta be pretty." Mutwa explained with an evil smile. "I be offering ta take da spirit out of yo head and give ya da spirit of my pack ta protect ya. Da leech be making ya think stupid. Ya not be considering all of yo tools ya could use to help out da GoGo. Ya be too focused on da kill, and not on da Hunt."

Taking a second to think it over, Harry said, "So let me get this straight. I give you the thing that is hurting me, and you give me this animal spirit thing that will give me the power of some beast. Right?"

"Yes" was all Mutwa answered.

"And after you give me this spirit, you can train me in "da Hunt," does that mean training my magic also?"

"Yes" Mutwa again stated.

"Ooook. So how do we go about doing this?" Harry asked, Sitting up , willing to trust Mutwa to help him.

Mutwa stood up and started to walk around the fire. "Ya drink from my blood. I cut my arm and ya drink from it. Dat is all you do. Do no worry aboot ya fangs, ya poison can no hurt me. I will do da rest." He said as he walked to stand before Harry. With that, Mutwa held up his right hand where a claw seemed to grow out of his pointer finger. Placing it against his left forearm, he slowly dragged the tip down, drawing a thin slice down his dark skinned arm and causing thick red blood to start welling up. "Now drink."

"Um, ok, but one question. What kind of animal spirit are you? What kind of spirit will I be if I'm going to be in your pack?" Harry asked as he bent and put his mouth to Mutwa's arm and started to drink.

"I be Nundu boy, and now, you be Nundu too… Dis may hurt a bit…" with that said, three-inch claws jumped out of Mutwa's fingers, and he buried his claws into Harry's scar!

Mutwa held Harry's head to his bleeding arm through the strength of his claws buried in Harry's forehead as he started a guttural chant that seemed to issue up through the earth and pour through Mutwa's body. Harry's screams of agony could be heard to echo across the veldt, silencing the normal night sounds of the animals.

Slowly, the scream of terrible pain turned into the cry of a very large and very ticked off cat…

* * *

Franco Lucius Malfoy had been "hunting" potions supplies since he was 11 years old and failed to get accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As the eldest child to the current head of the Malfoy line, you would think that Franco would be a spoiled brat, pampered and fully integrated into the life and actions of his "Father" Lucius Malfoy. But reality can be a bitch. The reality was that Franco was all but disowned by the Malfoy family, totally unacknowledged and stuck running the families "semi-legal" potions ingredient company since he had been booted out of the UK and delegated to the plains of South Africa. Why might you ask was Franco sent off to darkest Africa rather than spending time in the balls and galas of his "family" in the United Kingdom? The answer was simple, Franco Lucius Malfoy, first born child of Lucius Malfoy, was a squib; and a squib that even his own mother and brother didn't know about thanks to his father's prodigious use of the obliviation charm. His only tie to the family was his name, which his father had threatened him on pain of death if he used, and a small quarterly stipend to live on. The stipend may lead people to think that Lucius Malfoy wasn't totally heartless towards his son, but that could only be believed until they learned that the stipend doubled as his paycheck for living out of a tent and hunting the magical animals throughout Africa for his "father's" company. The semi-legality of the company was in fact a farce. It was in fact a poaching operation, duly licensed through the British Ministry of Magic, but totally illegal given the fact that the company functioned in the Magical Kingdom of South Africa, Lesotho, and Zulu-land. At least Franco Malfoy took after his father in some ways, namely, he was a crook, a liar, a cheat, and an all around bastard; no disparagements to Narcissa Malfoy implied.

"Justin, if you don't get those bloody freaking Moke to shut up, I'm going to hit you in the head with the club that you are supposed to be hitting them!" The blonde haired Franco yelled with a smirk. The smirk must have been a familial trait, because it mirrored that of his "father" and little brother Draco.

"I'm trying Franco, but these mokes are bloody hard to whack! If you would get off your bloody arse and give it a whack you would see you bloody wanker!" Justin spat back.

"Shut your bloody traps you two! And shut up those mokes while you're at it! I'm trying to sleep over here! Its 2 o'clock in the bloody morning and I have to go after chimera hair and stingers tomorrow!" Grumped Justin's twin brother Hank from inside of his wizards tent on the other side of the fire from Franco.

Hank and Justin were both muggleborn wizards who had a nasty run in with the law. Apparently making fun of Cornelius Fudge while he was at Hogwarts had been a bad idea. Who knew that the man would hold a grudge for so long? It wasn't like they had hung him by his brown stained underwear from the side of the Astronomy tower more than twice… ok, maybe three times, no, check that, maybe it was five. Who knew that the Minister of Magic could hold a grudge about the sign they had tied to his neck that said that "Fudge likes to Fudge his pants!" right where the girls from the Ravenclaw tower would see him when they woke up in the morning and looked out their windows? Really, the guy had no sense of humor. But because Justin and Hank had a sense of self-preservation, they had headed off for Timbuktu and then South Africa as soon as Fudge was elected into office; one step ahead of Fudge's Auror Dwalish. Hank and Justin had joined up with Franco about three years before, and they had been poaching… I mean hunting together ever since.

"At least the baby nundu is quiet." Justin said with a laugh, looking over towards a steel cage that held a small 50 pound baby nundu, its mouth muzzled shut and its paws hogtied into a spread eagle on the four corners of the cage. "It was brilliant the way you snatched it when it wandered away from its mother… used the invisibility cloak and scent diffusers on it… That little sucker didn't know what hit it!" He continued, chuckling to himself.

Franco said, "I don't give a moke's ass what you think about my brilliance! Stop talking and get finished with those mokes! Afterwards, we can wake up Hank and start harvesting that Nundu. I hear that if we harvest it alive you can use a stasis spell on the heart and it will keep beating, more money for us that way!" Franco said with an evil leer at the steel cage. "I'm going to go for a whiz and to drop some weight, and when I get back those mokes better be dead and skinned!" Franco said as he got up from the fire and walked into the darkness.

Franco walked into the dark African night, keeping his muggle 45-calibur limbered from his holster and ready for use if he needed it. Being a squib he had to rely on magical equipment, muggle firearms, or enchanted muggle items to keep him hale and healthy on the veldt. Moseying up to a tall thorn bush, Franco pulled out his small sized "hook and tackle," small because he is a Malfoy and it is genetic, and started to take a whiz. "Ahhhhhhh, that feels good." Franco said to himself as he relaxed the preasure in his bladder, the sounds of Justin clubbing the mokes to death in the background. Just as Franco was about to fully drop his pants and turn around to administer "round two" on the thorn tree, a sharp *CRACK* issued from his left, making him jump, drop his pants and look to the left. Nothing was there.

Letting his heart rate settle down to something under 200 beats per minute, he let out a sigh of relief, looked down at his pants, dropped his underwear and turned with his back to the tree and started to squat, Only to come face to face with a crouched and "smiling" giant Nundu the size of a large Clydesdale horse!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Screamed Franco, right before a great huff of green disease filled breath hit him in the face, and he died. At least he died doing the family business...

"What was that!" Justin yelled, turning around from his task of clubbing the mokes, pulling his wand out of his back pocket and raising both towards where he heard Franco scream. Hank tumbled out of his tent without a shirt or shoes, viciously rubbing the sleepers from his eyes while trying to keep his wand pointed in the direction that Franco had gone to relieve himself.

That's the problem with humans, they are always so predictable…

Because both of the humans were facing in the direction that Franco had departed the camp in, incidentally in the direction of the bonfire which "happened" to ruin their night vision, they didn't notice the "full grown" Nundu who, rather than being the size of a large horse was the size of a large house, was crouched and stealthily crawling up right behind the two of them.

The Giant Nundu lunged out of its crouch, chomping down on Justin's shoulder, and by shoulder I mean the beast came in from the Justin's right and bit through Justin's left shoulder. This basically effected the biting off of Justin's head, upper torso, and the hand holding the club; it wasn't like Justin's wand was going to be a threat to the Nundu seeing as Justin's head was busy being swallowed by the gigantic beast. The Nundu's death shake of Justin's body splashed blood across the campsite, buckets of it hitting Hank on his bare back and neck, causing him to startle and swing about to see the ghastly sight of his brother being ripped in two.

Eyes huge and mouth open in a silent scream, Hank swallowed quickly and attempted to hit the Nundu with the first curse that came to mind, "Avadra Kada –ARGh!" Was as far as he got, as a second Nundu jumped over the fire behind Hank, claws flashing in the firelight, and tore his wand arm and right leg off! The tackle of the great cat becoming a slashing storm of claws, teeth and flying bits of flesh as the Nundu effectively crashed into Hank like a kitchen blender set to puree!

The actions of the two Nundu's gradually slowed to a halt, as the bigger of the two Nundu's finished its late night snack of sushi grade Justin, and turned its attention to the baby nundu in the cage. Reaching down with its mouth, it bit down on the top of the cage and effectively sheared off the magically strengthened steel lid that had sealed the baby in. Spitting out the lid of the cage, the large Nundu then delicately took its paw and sliced the ropes and the muzzle off of the "kitten", reached down into the cage, and picked the baby nundu up ,by the scruff of its neck, with its maw. Gently setting the baby nundu down, the larger Nundu gave it a lick from face to back, and then nudged it in the direction past the fire and towards its home range. The "little" baby nundu took off, running into the darkness, only stopping once to whiz on the corpse of Franco Lucius Malfoy, before running off to join its mother.

Back at the fire, the smaller of the two Nundu stopped its destruction of the former Hank and took a seat facing the larger of the two. If a cat could be said to smile, the smaller of the two would be said to have a Cheshire cat like smile, grinning up at the Big Nundu. To which in reply, the Big Nundu trotted over to the smaller of the two, and quick as lightning cuffed the smaller Nundu over the head, knocking the smaller of the two sprawling out on the ground.

The smaller of the two covered its head, and suddenly morphed into none other than Harry James Potter. "Ow! What was that for!" Harry said while laying on his backside in the dust, his face wincing in pain as he rubbed the spot on the back of his head; it felt like he was going to grow a lump.

The Big Nundu, not deigning to transform back into Mutwa said **{You were playing too much there cub. You did a good job of hunting as pack, but you were sloppy. You diverted their attention like you were supposed to, but you made a sound when you stepped on that branch, and you were almost too slow in getting the second wizard; not that a single AK could hurt us in that form… You focus on the hunt cub, you do not play when you hunt!} **Mutwa said in the way and language of all of the Great Beasts; the instinctual Primal language. The language was a series of growls and hisses but more so of movements, shifts, stance, scents and unvocalized words. **{Come, call back the spirit of the Nundu. We have many leagues to travel before we reach my home on the Zambezi and the start of your training.}** With that said, Mutwa turned and trotted out of the campsite.

Harry rubbed his head, picked himself up, dusted himself off and called upon the spirit of the Nundu; transforming into his very large leopard like body. Giving his body a shake to shed off the blood and dust that had accumulated on him; he tore off into the night to follow Mutwa to his home. Behind him, the poacher's camp and the shredded bodies disappeared into the darkness as the untended campfire burned itself out.

* * *

*****GoGo is Zulu for "Honored Woman, the direct translation would be "old lady." Ya bo GoGo, translates out to "yeah, right, old woman." Which in English sounds disrespectful, but in Zulu is like saying, yes, I understand honored woman. Just a bit of trivia.

**AN: Well, that is about just at 5000 words of story for this chapter, a little more, so I think I will cut it off there. I wanted to introduce you to some of the main characters for the rest of the story, hint hint, but I was having so much fun with the end of the chapter and needed a lot of space to set up the Mutwa sequence. Oh well, you will just have to wait for the fun and hilarity that is the next chapter. (Evil Smile*) I really appreciate all of the reviews I have been receiving. They have really inspired me to think how I should write, and also get me to write more often. Without the reviews, I really wouldn't have been able to work my way through this chapter and figure out what I wanted to happen. Please keep the reviews coming, and I will keep writing! Best wishes!**


	6. Chapter 6: Meet the Lovegoods

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, the names of people used are made up or not necessarily their real actions in real life, I don't own the Beattles, and I don't make any money from this.

**AN: I've really been thrilled with the inquisitive and questioning/commenting reviews that I've received. They have helped me so much in coming up with really fun and interesting pieces to add to the story, so thanks to everybody who has written one. I try and respond to every review I receive, sometimes I err on the side of writing two replies if I get scatter brained and forget that I wrote you one. Keep it up, it is inspiring me to write more! Best wishes!**

* * *

/creepy crawly/

[Parsel]

**{Primal Beast Speak}**

**Chapter 6: Meet the Lovegoods**

"If I need you I'll give you a signal.'  
What signal?"  
I'll imitate the scream of a terrified little girl"  
— Jim Butcher

The Fwooper was a magical and wildyly colorful bird prone to causing those around it, who heard its mind altering song, to seek out the purple horse-shoes, taste the blender, or smell the color plaid. Some tales surrounding the Fwooper are written about in the book of "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them." This book tells the well known tale of Uric the Oddball who, after listening to the Fwooper's song, appeared before the Wizard's Council wearing nothing but a dead badger on his head as if it was a toupee. A not so well known story about the Fwooper is how some enterprising potions mistress in the 50's created a method for liquefying the pure song of the Fwooper and distilled it into a mind-altering potion that was often soaked into stamps and small pieces of paper. A famous song about the Fwooper's potion was written by a man named John, who attempted to immortalize the wonderful mind-altering nature of liquid Fwooper's song in a melody called "Fwoopers In The Sky With Onions." Sadly, the title didn't fit, and the acronym of "FITS'WO" didn't really sell albums, so he changed it to "Lucy In The Sky With Diamond." Thus was created the mystery of the famous Beatles song and why nobody can really understand what the singer was trying to sing about. The song of the Fwooper was incredibly mind bending to most mortals, and yet, it appeared to have no effect on the two Lovegoods who were bird watching from the banks of the Zambezi, at the apex of Victoria's Falls.

"What a beautiful song, don't you think so Pumpkin-dumpling?" said Xenophilius to his lovely daughter Luna. Both of them where dressed up in classic English explorer wear that the wilderness supplier in Diagon Alley said would asuridly blend right in with the muggles. They wore magnificant pith-helmets and tall socks below their khaki shorts. Xenophilius's outfit was a nice shade of glow in the dark green, while Luna's was pokadots of sky blue and puce on a white background.

"Absolutely Father, but please don't call me Pumpkin-dumpling, I don't like Pumpkins today. Please call me Marmalade." Luna replied, still focusing through her omnoculars as she and her father recorded the song and photographs of the Fwooper. It would make a lovely piece to add to the Quibbler, especially if they could get a charm to record the song so that all of their subscribers, or the people around the subscribers, could enjoy the song of the Fwooper. Simply imagining life in wizarding Britian on the morning that everybody opened their papers to hear the song of the Fwooper was the thing of dreams to the two Lovegoods; the Lovegoods really did enjoy sharing the wonders of nature with their less adventurous neighbors.

"Very well Butterplum, I won't call you Daisy again until it's the 12 of last month." Xenophilius stated, not really paying attention and another perfectly normal conversation between the last remaining members of the Lovegood family.

"You know daddy, I thought people said that the Fwooper's song made you go insane. However I don't feel a thing?" Luna said in a contemplative manner, starting to look around with her helmet mounted omnoculars. As she looked at her father she noticed he had a hugely magnified bugger hanging out of his nose, but figured they could use that for bait for the Snorkacks later on, so didn't let him know.

"Same here Pudding-puddle, I notice no effect what so ever." Xenophilius answered, still focusing on the Fwooper as it sat on its nest of wildly colored eggs.

"Daddy?" Luna said, her attention being drawn to something swimming extremely rapidly towards the edge of the falls. "Do you see Harry Potter being chased in the water by some gigantically fat creature with cute ears?"

"No frying pan, I only see the Fwooper, are you sure you are feeling ok?" Xenophilus stated as he looked around at the trees.

"Yes daddy, I feel the same, but I swear that now I see Harry Potter running this way, followed by something very large and very fast."

"I think the Fwooper's song is getting to you daughter, maybe you should go lay down." Xenophilius said, focusing in on his daughter through the omnoculars. He noticed a bit of magnified ear-wax sticking out of her ear, but figured they could use it for bait for the Snorkacks, so would tell her about it later.

"No, I'm pretty sure that I see Harry Potter, and he is running this way." Luna said, staring through Xenophilus with the x-ray aspect of the omnoculars.

"Are you sure you are feeling ok darling raindrop, I don't see what you are talkin…" Xenophilius's statement was cut off by a screaming Harry Potter who ran in between father and daughter without stopping to chat; followed closely behind by a very large and very angry hippopotamus.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Harry screamed running by, his voice and the hippo disappearing into the foliage found around the giant falls.

"What was that!" Xenophilus stated, wide eyed. All he had seen was a giant magnified snout of something fat, grey, and lumpy, with a wide open mouth. "Did you see that beast! We must get a new name for it and catalog it in our hunt diaries. For some reason, the giant fatty lumpy ugliness that I saw inspires me to call Vernonous-Dursleeious for some reason… I can't understand why?" He said with a hint of confusion.

To which Luna replied, staring fixedly in the direction that Harry Potter had just run, "Daddy, why was Harry Potter naked? He looked really cute!" She said with a sort of dazed and dreamy look and voice, more so than usual.

"By Merlin that's it! We are going to go back to the tent and you are going to lay down immediately! Better yet, you are going to take a cold shower and then lay down for a nap. Obviously the Fwooper's song and the heat have affected you, imagining naked Harry Potters, indeed!" Xenophilus said, quickly herding Luna before him and back towards their campsite.

* * *

Several hours earlier…

Harry and Mutwa had run through the night at amazing speeds. It was incredible to see the distance they could cover in such a short period of time, their gigantic heavily muscled frames allowed them to go from the edge of Lesotho all the way into Zambia, north of the Zambezi river and about 5 miles upriver from Victoria's Falls, in 2 hours. Arriving at Mutwa's mud and wattle hut at about 5 o'clock in the morning, Harry and Mutwa released the Nundu spirits and turned back into their natural forms. Whereas Mutwa looked the same as he had earlier in the night, Harry Potter had definitely changed.

Originally with the changes from the snakes and insects, no outward appearance changes had happened to Harry; unless you consider him getting healthy and hale to be an appearance change. Before, the major differences in Harry could only be noted when he unhinged his jaw to swallow something, chose to wear his armor, or smiled that impossibly large smile. Now though, with the introduction of the Nundu Spirit, Harry's time out on the veldt, and the removal of Voldemort's spirit from his scar, Harry was noticeably different.

Black hair hung in a foot long dirty curtain around his head, almost dreaded from its abuse of sun, dust, and bodily fluids from his kills. His face had prematurely aged to show almost cat-like angular features, almost as if the addition of the snake and the leopard had dissolved the baby-fat that had been in his cheeks and making him appear to be more ruggedly handsome than little boy cute. His eyes were still the stunning Avada Kedavra green, but now when he blinked, it was almost as if you saw a slit pupil flash by before his eye seemed to revert back to its "human" original. His body was tanned and bronzed by the sun, and he had bulked up in muscles and height, standing at a little over 5 feet; very respectable considering he was only 10 years old. Whereas before Harry had gained mass and density weight from his evolving with his sibling the roach, and speed and agility from the snakes, he hadn't really shown any outward difference in appearance from an average boy of similar age. However, the spirit and power of the Nundu, "gifted" to him by Mutwa and GoGo, could not be hidden within his original shell of a body. In short, Harry Potter was ripped, chiseled muscle stood out across his body in bands of sleek taunt power and might. He moved like a panther, he could strike like a serpent, and he his skin had become armored; soft and subtle to the touch, but hard upon impact and protected from laceration. Yet much remained of the previous Harry Potter who had grown up abused at the Dursleys. His eyes still held a certain hardened look to them, as if they looked out in the world without a shred of trust for others. It was the type of look that one gets when they have known nothing but beatings and abuse from those around them. The type of look that one gets when no matter how many times they pick themselves up off the ground, they get smacked down again. It was the kind of look that said, NEVER AGAIN! Above Harry's hard eyes was the famous scar. Not as distinct as the sharp edged lightning bolt had been prior to the night's activities. Mutwa's actions in wrenching the "dark spirit" from Harry's head had added a jagged look to the lines. It was as if the lightning bolt was feathered and wild, not targeting a single point on the earth, but ready to split up into thousands of little smaller bolts that would destroy the space around it. This was the Harry Potter who found himself in front of Mutwa's house. This is the Harry Potter who would begin his training at the hands of the witch doctor.

As Harry stopped to catch his breath in front of Mutwa's hut, the wind around them stirred. The leaves of the thorn trees around Mutwa's house shifted, and the grass rattled like bones knocking together, swaying like the waves on the ocean around Mutwa's hut. Mutwa cocked his head to the side, his ear twitching, as if listening to some far away voice. As the wind settled and died down, Mutwa turned to Harry and said, "We do no have a lot o' time. GoGo tells me dat ya got to train quickly. No rest for da wicked she says." Mutwa smiled and chuckled evilly on the last part. "Ya body is strong, but we can make it stronger. It take a lot of work though. Late tonight we start on ya magic training."

Turning and pointing to the Zambezi River which could be seen a mile downhill from Mutwa's house and its vantage point on the bluffs above said river, Mutwa said, "See dat river boy? Ya first task is ta run to da river, swim down da river to da falls, and den run back to da hut in a hour. Ya are not supposed ta change into da Nundu. Leave ya loin cloth here, ya do this as one with da GoGo. Now go, I be making the food and arrangements for your training for when you get back." With that said, Mutwa turned and walked away from Harry, expecting him to act according to his orders without having to watch Harry.

Harry did as he was told. Part of what he had learned from the Spirit of the Nundu was that you respected the order of the pack. The order of the pack was different than the order among humans and wizards. In the pack, only the smartest and the strongest survived to lead, unlike with humans where the "Peter principle" ruled; in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. The wizards were even more backwards according to Mutwa. They were ruled by some called the purebloods, but Mutwa said Harry would have to gain his own experiances with that bunch. As for Mutwa, well he was definitely the top of the food chain when it came to it, so Harry had no problem following the rules set forth. Harry chuckled in dark humor as he undressed, remembering how his uncle had been a manager at Grunnings yet was the same man who had forgotten to swallow his food before he tried to breathe while sitting at the dinner table. "If stupidity is a well sought after job qualification in the human world, then Dudley will be Prime Minister in no time at all." Harry chuckled to himself.

Harry dropped his loincloth, and took off, barefoot running towards the river. The voice of Mutwa echoed out to him from inside the hut as he began his run, "If I were ya boy, I'd make sure ta swim very very fast." Only the sound of Mutwa's chuckles could be heard after that as Harry sprinted to the river.

* * *

Hippos are cute, looking like they could be cuddled with their tiny ears. Harry had remembered watching Dudley play with one of the many toys he had received for his birthday, this particular toy of Dudley's was called "Hungry Hungry Hippo." It not only looked like Dudley and his friends had fun with it, but Harry distinctly remembered the smiling, blue, purple and pink painted hippos that happily swallowed up all the marbles possible. The problem with real life is that yes, Hippos can be cute, but they are also mean nasty territorial buggers!

Harry had reached the river with no problem and proceeded to dive in face first. The water was fresh and cool on his body after running his 2.5 minute mile from Mutwa's house to the river. As it is with most "little boys" who don't like to take a bath unless they are forced to, the swim in the river was Harry's first "bath" since he had left the Dursleys house. Swimming at a nice even stroke down the river, the natural instincts of the Nundu bleeding through into his conscious mind taught him the basics of swimming. Harry figured that if he concentrated on pulling himself along and kicking hard enough, that he could stay afloat for as long as it took to get down river. However, his peaceful repose was soon disturbed by a cute pair of little swiveling ears, and two small eyes that popped out of the river about 6 feet to his right. Then another pair popped out above the water 4 feet to his left… one 7 feet behind him…another on the left… and another 3 on the right. "Hippos!" Harry smiled to himself as he swam along at a leisurely pace, remembering the game his brother used to play and the discovery channel show he had seen about African Animals. It was then that the memory of that show triggered in his brain, and a small part of him remembered that hippos kill more people in Africa than any other animal. Harry really didn't want to be "the marble" in a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos… "Oh shit!" Was the last thought to go through Harry's head before 12 Hippos fully breached the water around him roaring at the intruder in their midst!

Harry went all out! Swimming as fast as he could, he was plowing through the water as quickly as his strong body could go. The problem with Hippos is that they are a lot faster than they look. Able to go 35 miles per hour on land, they are still really fast in the water and most of that "fat" is actually muscle. It's really hard to carry out a prolonged scream while one is trying to swim for their life, but Harry somehow managed it.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Harry screamed as the pack of behemoths continued to chase him. At this point Harry was going so fast in the river that it appeared that he was more skimming the top of the waves rather than really staying in the water. The Guinness Book of World Records would have been seriously impressed and probably would have awarded Harry the record for the first non-mechanized hover-craft if they had seen Harry at that moment. The fact that Mutwa had told him not to call on the Nundu spirit was enough to keep him swimming in "human" form, but Harry knew that if the Water Buffalo could pierce his armor, then those huge teeth of the Hippos could definitely gut him. "Swim fast my arse!"Harry thought to himself, "Mutwa is going to get me bloody killed!" He said to as he paddled furiously. If Harry couldn't swim very well before this, he sure as hell could do so now!

Nearing Victoria Falls, Harry shot out of the water as quick as he could, sprinting through the forest and relying on his natural agility to navigate the tangle of plants and wild life around him. He hoped that the tangle of branches and vines that he dodged through would slow down the hippo that was angry enough to follow him out of the water. Unfortunately, the Hippo was angry enough to just plow straight through what Harry was taking the time to dodge around.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Harry screamed as the hippo caught up to him quickly and causing Harry to run right between a certain father daughter pair; not even paying them heed as he continued through the brush with the Hippo right on his tail.

Fortunately for Harry, the rain forest formed from the water vapor around Victoria's Falls only extended for a short distance away from the river where it soon turned into dry thorn-tree covered veldt. The hippo may have been fast, but on the dry flat ground it wasn't up to matching speeds of "Harry Potter Running For His Life" fast.

Breaking away from the Hippo, Harry gained ground until the Hippo gave up its fruitless chase, content to have chased the intruder from its territory.

Harry made it back to Mutwa's hut in good time, and had gained a "new expectation" on what would become his morning exercise routine while under the "caring guidance" of his witch doctor mentor.

"Come, seet, the meal is ready. Come eat with me." Mutwa's voice said issuing from inside the hut. "After we eat, we will be'gin ya lessons." With that said, Harry put his loincloth back on and went to eat his first meal where he was invited to sit and eat with somebody as an equal.

* * *

The sun shined down on the plains from with its noon hour heat as two Gant Nundu's crept through the very tall grass and thorn trees towards the apex of the hill that looked out over a very large herd of wildebeests. Coming to the top where they could look out over the herd, the larger of the two signaled for the "smaller" one to stop beside him.

**{This is your next lesson on finding your balance, and finding a balance with nature. Look out over that herd cub, and tell me which of the herd you would kill for your meal.} **The Giant Nundu said.

Looking out over the herd, the smaller of the two took his time to gaze out over the hundreds of animals below him. Some were small, some were larger bulls, a few calves were kept protected by the adults, but overall the herd looked healthy and in all good shape. **{Any of them or all of them. Why should it matter, they would all taste good?}** the smaller one replied.

Turning its head to glare at the smaller Nundu, the big one said, **{And that is your lesson cub. We do not just kill to eat, we do not just kill because we can. GoGo will take your power from you if you do not learn this one simple lesson. She has been patient with you so far, but she will not be so if you continue down that path now that you are being trained. You will be just like the Dark Wizard who put his spirit in you if you cannot learn this one less. We kill, but we kill to balance nature. GoGo gives us our power and our abilities. The Magic, it is also a part of GoGo. She lets us be born with it, she chose you to be born with it, and she can take it away again. Now, focus, look to the left of the herd of Wildebeests, what do you see there?} **The large Cat said, focusing his attention back down the hill and out onto the plains.

The small one gazed out and saw a small herd of impala. These impala had seen better days. They were a stag herd, all small males, and it appeared as if some sort of mange had set in and started to destroy their once fine coats. They were sickly.

**{The impala, they do not look right. *Sniff* They do not smell right. They appear to be sickly.} **The smaller of the two Nundu communicated.

**{And that is what you will kill. We cull the herds, we balance the nature. We destroy the sick and feast upon that which would destroy the balance; that which would lead to the destruction of nature. We are uniquely situated to be the tools of GoGo. We are the ones who carry destruction, toxic death and disease in our breath and in our veins, walking tools of destruction. We are uniquely purposed to be the final balance for that which should not be allowed to survive. This will be your goal. GoGo has spoken, and if you are to be her tool, if you are to survive, then you will eventually return to your homeland and there you will cull the weak.} **The large Nundu pontificated. There it was, the ultimate message from GoGo, told to Mutwa and now related to Harry.

Harry, the smaller of the two Nundu, had to think. Did he really want to follow this GoGo and be her tool, or did he want to destroy all of the humans? Did he have a choice? It sounded like if he followed his original goal of extermination and destruction of all of humanity that it would lead to his destruction. So far Mutwa hadn't been wrong about what he had said, and he had been very helpful in getting rid of that "dark spirit" that had been in his head. Harry couldn't remember a time where his thoughts had been so clear, where he could feel his magic so strong and humming through his body and ready to follow his whims. So far, everything Mutwa had told him was the truth. In fact, if Harry really thought about it, Mutwa was the first "person" to ever really "care" for Harry, at least that Harry could remember; even if Mutwa did so with a dark sense of humor. But Mutwa treated Harry as an equal, even though he was Harry's teacher and mentor. Never before had Harry ever had somebody willingly share food with him let alone invite him to sit down and eat with him as they had done for the morning meal. This one fact drilled into Harry's mind, this one simple normal act of kindness was what it took to make Harry believe that Mutwa's message was true. His life under the "care" of the Dursleys could have been likened to that of Stalin and his "care" of the prisoners in his gulags. That stage of his life had hardened him and would have driven him to kill all before him. But under Mutwa's guidance, even in the short period of time Harry had seen Mutwa, he knew that Mutwa told the truth and could guide him to his true goal. Therefore, his decision was made up.

**{I will do what GoGo wants me to do. I'll follow your lead. I asked you to train me, and I'll learn from you.} **The smaller Nundu said with determination.

Smiling a big sharp toothed smile at the smaller Nundu, the Large Nundu said, pride coming through its voice, **{Come, we have our duty to follow. Besides, I feel like eating impala for lunch.}** With that, the two giant predators crept down the hill, stealthily and as silent as still-air, towards the herd of impala.

* * *

As the sun shined down and baked the African plains, Mutwa and Harry walked along together in their two legged forms. As they walked along the game trails on the veldt, Mutwa explained to Harry the secrets of balance; of finding that inner peace and of plotting the paths of the mind that would allow Harry to stay in balance within himself. Mutwa informed Harry that part of his training would be spent in meditation every evening; forming his mindscape and protecting both his secrets and his thoughts. Harry would have to learn to sort through the bad and the good from his life if he wanted to think on an even keel. Too long had Harry's mind been tainted by the soul of Voldemort, and even though Harry had experienced more bad than good in his life, it was important that he sort through both so that he could reason and plan ahead before he took an action. Mutwa reminded Harry that as the king of all predators, they must remember the lessons of nature. They must predict their prey's actions. They must know the abilities of their prey; know them so well that they would know how they would react in any given instance. It was only after they knew exactly how their prey would act and think that they, the predator, would attack from the shadows. Their prey should never see it coming…

But for now, walking in the hot sun, Mutwa guided Harry in the direction of the falls yet away from the rain forest, towards the dusty dry ground where a giant Marula tree grew. This was to be the site of Harry's next lesson.

"Harry, in nature, it is important dat you find peace with all da species. It is ok to hate da individual, or even da social group dat one belongs to if they are truly ya enemy. Yet da species, da type of creature is not ta be feared or hated. Ya talk in ya sleep boy, so I know of ya hate for da monkeys. I have talked to da spirit of da baboon king, and he say dat if ya drink with them, den no harm done." Mutwa said, speaking to the shorter Harry as they walked along towards the Marula tree. "Ya see boy, at da Marula tree, all da animals are friends. It is da peaceful grounds, and when da berry of da Marula tree is ripe, everybody be happy." Mutwa's smile seemed to creep up his face and threaten to touch his ears, evidently Mutwa was very happy. "You may not kill or injure any of da animals dat are at da Marula tree, ya hear me boy?"

"Yes Mutwa, I understand. But I don't have to like it. Monkey's are evil." Harry replied with a shiver.

*Smack!* Mutwa cuffed Harry upside the head. Yep, Harry was definitely growing a lump from being cuffed upside the head. "I told ya dat no species is da evil. GoGo demand dat ya take all da species as individuals."

"Ok, fine, I'll behave." Harry said with some chagrin, brushing his long mop of hair back over his shoulder and out of his eyes so he could get a good look at the Marula tree that grew from the middle of the thorn-tree forest.

The Marula tree was a single trunked widely branched tree. Even from the distance Harry could hear the sounds of thousands of birds and monkeys in the tree, and the ground around the tree seemed to be teaming with life, as Harry noticed two Giraffes, a couple of warthogs, and even an elephant and what looked like a giant rhino; but which Mutwa told Harry was really an Erumpet.

As Harry walked closer to the tree, he was shocked and amazed to see the elephant was clearly stumbling around, waving its trunk around like it was trying to hoist a toast to the other animals, and every now and then it would blow a trumpet blast. The other animals didn't seem to be in a whole lot better shape, as two baboons sat on a log with an arm over each other's shoulder, eating berries with their free hands and looking like a couple of fraternity boys on a drinking binge; no sooner had Harry thought that then one of the two baboons fell over backwards off the log and the other one pointed and made a cackling hooting laughing sound. The spindly legged giraffes could barely walk, and it appeared that one of them had passed out and was sprawled out on the ground, all four legs spread towards different compass points. And the Erumpet, well it was scratching its back and butt up against the tree in a drunken stuppor. It was scratching so hard that it was shaking the tree, causing drunken birds and monkeys to drunkenly fall out of it! In short, it was an African kegger, right in the middle of the veldt!

"Come, try da berries, get ta know da animals." Mutwa said, as he walked into the crowd of animals and picked a bunch of berries from the tree, giving a hand full to Harry to eat.

Harry stuck them in his mouth and munched, a thick creamy almost chocolate liqueur taste filled his mouth and slipped down his tongue. The berries, sitting on the tree in the hot African sun, had fermented until they were potently alcoholic! Smiling big, Harry started picking lots of handfuls of the berries, and ended up sitting down next to a couple of baboons and a meerkat.

...

After about an hour and a half of eating berries and feeling no pain, Harry and the monkeys got into a wrestling match. Next thing you know, Harry, a troop of baboons, an African swallow who somehow found a coconut, and a giraffe were in a piggy back race to the falls and back; the monkey on Harry's back was wearing Harry's lion-skin loincloth.

* * *

Luna and her father had just gotten done with their mid-morning naps, and in Luna's case a cold shower, and decided to exit their wizarding tent and have a look around for more Snorkacks. Stepping out of the tent, Luna gave a big cat-like stretch and said, "That was a good idea on the nap daddy, but the cold shower wasn't so much fun. Why did I have to take that again?" She asked.

"It's because of your age. I'll tell you when you are older." Xenophilius stated to his beloved, one and only, never going to be touched by a man if he had anything to say about it, daughter; with a smile. "How do you feel butter-cup?" He said.

"I feel great daddy, but could you not call me Butter-cup, I don't like butter today and would rather be called Pumpkin. How do you feel daddy?" Luna replied.

"Ok, my dear, I won't call you Butter-Cup until international call your daughter a dairy product day. As for how I feel, I feel wonderful. I had the most amusing dream about dancing crocodiles and some large Vernonous-Dursleeious wearing tutus, so I'm obviously back to normal and without any lasting side-effects from the Fwooper's song." Xenophilius said with a smile… just in time for a naked Harry Potter to run through their campsite with a loincloth-wearing baboon hooting and jumping up and down on his head. Following shortly behind Harry, and through the campsite, came the Giraffe who seemed to bring with it a strong waft of alcohol and who had an African swallow on its head and a monkey clacking two halves of a coconut together while riding on the giraffe's back.

The procession quickly cleared the campsite, leaving both Luna and her father a bit goggle-eyed and staring. Shaking himself, Xenophilius picked up right where he left off in his statement, "Yes, I feel as right as rain! No change here!" He said, trying to convince himself… just in time for Harry and his parade to gallop back through the campsite headed in the opposite direction.

"That's It! We are going back to Great Britain and straight to St. Mungo's immediately!" Xenophilius said as he started to push Luna towards the tent to get everything packed into its place.

"Daddy, why was Harry Potter naked? I thought he was pretty cute." Luna said with a dreamy look in her eyes, longlingly looking in the direction that Harry had run in.

"Check that! Another cold shower for you first, and then a trip to St. Mungos!" Xenophilus said, quickly issuing Luna back into the tent. For some strange reason he had this inordinate urge to go out and buy a shovel and a muggle shotgun. That would have to wait until after Luna's second cold shower of the day, and the portkey home.

* * *

**AN: So another chapter down. I am having so much fun writing this that I have yet to get him to Hogwarts. I think he may be headed back to the UK in the next chapter, but we will have to see where the Muse gets me. Just a couple more lessons for Harry to learn before he is to head back to deal with his purpose. I'd like to again say thank you to all of those who have taken the time to write me a review or a comment. Seriously, they have inspired me to get these written a lot faster than I ever expected to be writing it. For me, Reviews really do drive my writing. I'll have to take a break this weekend to get caught up in Harry Potter and The Aspects of Death, but this has been a lot of fun to write. Keep those great comments and reviews coming, and I'll keep writing! Best wishes all.**


	7. Chapter 7: Lessons in the Dark

**Freak of Nature**

Blah Blah, I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters or stories that I may reference in passing in this chapter. I'm not making any money off of this, so there! Ptttttttt! :-p"

**AN1: Thank you for everybody who has either sent me a private message with a comment or question and special thanks to those who sent me reviews. The reviews have been great and have inspired me to keep writing at the pace that I am going, so I appreciate them a lot. Best wishes to you all!**

**AN2: This is a long chapter, so it probably won't be until late Monday or Tuesday at the earliest before I publish another for this book. I didn't feel right about breaking it up, but this way you get to enjoy a lot of reading in one sitting. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

[Parsel]

/Creapy Crawly/

**{Beast Language}**

(language other than English)

**Chapter 7: Lessons in the Dark**

"Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." Terry Pratchett

Mutwa had more reasons for getting Harry drunk then just watching Harry make a fool of himself and helping Harry to start getting over his fear of monkeys and their dirty little paws. Mutwa knew that Harry had experienced a very painful childhood prior to coming to the veldt, and the fast paced occlumency training and reliving of Harry's past was going to be insanely painful. Under a full moon, squatting before the fire in front of Mutwa's hut, the cloud of pain from Harry's hangover and fog from the alcohol still in Harry's system was helping Mutwa guide Harry through his painful memories and the sorting of Harry's mindscape. Just as Mutwa's claws from both of his hands, currently clasping Harry's head and drawing small pinpoints of blood, played a role in giving Harry a physical pain to focus on and a connection by which Mutwa could fully connect with Harry's mind and spirit, the pounding in Harry's head from the hangover kept Harry from fully reliving every blow of belt, frying pan, and fist that his relatives had administered to Harry in his younger years. There were much slower and less physically, and psychically, painful methods for creating Harry's mindscape and its protections, but GoGo had told Mutwa that their time was limited. Thus Mutwa was pushing Harry to his limits to train him into what he needed to be. Mutwa had told Harry earlier, as he carried Harry's limp and drunken form over his shoulder and back to his hut from the Marula tree, that Mutwa could not begin to teach Harry magic until Harry's mind was properly organized and protected. Mutwa had been very firm in his stand that the witch doctor's methods for imparting magical knowledge to Harry would drive Harry insane if he didn't have the ability to immediately separate the knowledge and experiences from that of his own original experiences.

"Breath boy, continue to breath."Mutwa said as he squatted on his feet facing Harry. Harry's eyes were tightly clenched in pain as sat Indian-style beside the fire and relived his earliest painful memory; that of the death of his mother and being hit by the killing curse. "Keep ya breath steady, listen to da sound of my voice. Feel da tendrils of my mind as I guide ya memories into der resting places." Mutwa continued, his voice a patient deep droning that helped Harry complete the processing of the memories of his life; all packed into the space of an hour. "aaarrgGGHHHHH!" Harry cried out, cringing and his muscles seizing as he relieved the memory of being struck by the Avada Kedavra from Voldemort's wand that had hit him in the head.

Suddenly, the pain was over, Harry's shoulders slumped as he was able to relax and his mind quickly flipped through the fuzzy happy memories of his first year of life. In his mind, he saw brief glimpses of his father flying with him on a broom, a woman who he thought was his mother yelling at and hexing same father for his action, and Harry pulling himself up to stand by grabbing hold of the ears of a big shaggy grey haired dog. The memories went by too fast for Harry to really enjoy them, but he knew now that they were sorted that he could call upon them at any time. Now was the time for training.

"Ok boy, now I am going ta join ya in ya mental scape. Picture ya self in ya mind, find da core of ya magic and we will meet and start der." Mutwa said.

Harry pulled himself deeper into his mind, tumbling down the proverbial rabbit hole as he sought out the lowest levels of his mind and his oceanic magical core.

* * *

Harry and Mutwa appeared and seemed to be standing on some sort of glowing moving shifting fluidic surface that spanned as far as their mental eyes could see; from one horizon to the next. "Dis is ya magic core boy. Ya magic core is special. Ya have tapped into da power of da GoGo, and just as da oceans of da GoGo are too vast ta ever be drained, ya magic can never be drained out entirely." Mutwa said, turning to face the mental projection of Harry's figure, both appearing just as they did in the real world. "As long as ya follow da path dat GoGo appointed ya to, ya can tap into da GoGo." Mutwa said to Harry who was too busy looking around in wonder to fully pay attention to what Mutwa was saying, but Harry heard it none the less.

"Ya have sorted out ya memories, so now it is time dat we protect ya mind and ya spirit." Mutwa continued his lesson. "Just as on da veldt, it is wise to hide and camouflage ya abilities, never let ya enemy know ya full capabilities." Mutwa said, Harry turning to fully focus on Mutwa's guidance. "I want ya to use what ya know. Ya abilities, and the lands dat ya feel most familiar with. We are da Nundu, and we are cagey." Mutwa said with a fierce smile. "First, let us hide ya power, hide da power of da GoGo. Just as the land and da savannas have water underneath them, turn ya ocean into an underground ocean. Add da plains above dem." Mutwa instructed.

In Harry's mind, Harry and Mutwa's figures seemed to float up and above the surface of Harry's magical core, and then suddenly the African veldt appeared to cover the ground from horizon to horizon. Wild grasses and thorn trees appeared around them as their figures settled back onto the ground. A rainforest and jungle could be seen in the distance, and beyond the forest a band of mountains touched into the sky and scraped the clouds. An artificial breeze could be felt, blowing the dry wind of the plains with it; yet it carried no scent as there were no animals existent on the plains as of yet.

"Good boy, ya do good work." Mutwa said with a smile as he examined Harry's work around him. "Now it would be suspicious if ya did no have some magic showing; da enemy would know dat da environment is a trick. Create some watering holes, allow da magic ta seep up and water da earth, just as da GoGo keeps da plains and provides da life giving water to her children." With that said, oasis's, mud-holes, and watering holes appeared to form out of the ground. Hills and dips formed in the plains which allowed springs to let the "water" flow up and imitate the existence of a "normal" wizard's core.

"Good, now we shall start with da protections. First, ya call upon da power of ya siblings. Bring da insects, dat which is small but stings or bites. Dat which is missed but can kill or maim." Mutwa stated looking at Harry's figure. Harry's figure began to blur and become indistinct, and then it was as if Harry's figure dissolved as if it was a fire hose spraying insects to the four corners of his mental terrain. Trillions of poisonous and paralyzing spiders, flying hissing roaches, plague bearing biting flies and mosquitoes, parasitic worms, and every form of irritating and destructive insect known to mankind spread, flew and skittered out to hide in every crevice cranny and plant on Harry's creation. Large acromantulas seemed to descend from the heavens on silk the size of steel bands, landing on the ground and quickly running towards the forests to create their webs and traps. When they had dispersed and hidden from view, Harry's figure faded back into view with his eyes closed. Opening his eyes, Harry waited for the next instruction from Mutwa.

"Ya do good boy, only a couple of more steps. Next, do da same with da snakes, and den we do the fun ones." Mutwa said with an evil smile.

Harry complied. He cast out his hands, and from the ground around him the earth exploded with a roiling boiling mass of serpents. Poisonous and constrictors, camouflaged and brightly colored, the snakes poured out of the ground and went to seed the artificial earth around them with their presence. Turning to Mutwa, task completed, Harry waited for the next task.

"Ya are da Nundu boy. We are da bearers of plague and every disease known to man! Seed da plains with our kin, and den fill da air with our breath!" Mutwa said, his voice issuing deeply from the earth and echoing on the winds as if he was calling to his pack over the horizon. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated, and from far away on the winds he heard the call of first one large cat... and then another, and then another, until from all of the directions was heard the hunting call of the great beasts. One Nundu was known to take more than one hundred wizards to take down, and Harry was calling the spirits of the Nundu into him by the legion! Whereas dragons could be stunned into submission by a handful of wizards, Nundu destroyed all but overwhelming hordes. Opening his eyes, Harry looked out over the plains, and here and there, every now and then, you could see a pair of bright green eyes poke out of the long grass or trees before disappearing again; making one question whether they had ever really seen anything at all or if it had just been a figment of their imagination. Looking to the sky, Harry called the winds. Green and black clouds ushered in around him from every horizon. Great yellowish storm clouds they seemed, but with them came death. The very air was alive with every bacteria, pestilence, plasmic growth, or virus known to muggle or magical; and some yet to be discovered. It saturated the plains, ready to kill any who breathed it who was not born with the natural immunity of the Nundu. The very atmosphere, the ozone and its protective layers of the artificial Earth that Harry had created of his mind was a shielded sphere of poisonous toxic gas and disease. Finished with his defenses, Harry smiled a sharp toothed grin up at Mutwa, Harry's eyes taking on a slit-like cat or serpent's pupil.

"Good, but do no get smug yet boy. We still need ta situate ya memories. Come, run or fly wit me." Mutwa said, and with that, wings like that of the giant condor sprung from Mutwa's back as he took off in the direction of the Mountains. Harry looked after Mutwa as he climbed into the sky, and then closed his eyes to concentrate. Slowly, the skin on Harry's back seemed to shiver, and crawl. A seam split down the skin of his tanned back, and it seemed to separate and hinge from his shoulders as if his armored shin was splitting. Armored plates of skin shifted to the sides of his back to reveal and unfold insectoid wings that began to flutter and flail quickly. Opening his eyes, Harry hovered off the ground by about 3 feet, and then shot into the sky like a bullet, quickly catching up with Mutwa's longer stroking winged figure.

Soaring over first the plains and then the forests, flying through the gusts of disease and the occasional swarm or cloud of insects, Harry was able to look out at his mindscape and see the formidable defenses of pit vipers, crouching prowling patrolling Nundu, and busy acromantula. Before him were the peaks of his mountains, and as he and Mutwa guided towards them, they flew among first the foothills, and then up and over the ridges of the peaks. Clearing the first couple layers of mountains, they came upon a huge valley which Mutwa began to descend into. The two landing in the middle, Harry took the time to look around at what his mind had naturally built. Towering snowcapped mountains formed natural walls that any defending general would salivate over, the jagged and sharp peaks disappearing into the clouds with no gap or pass available. The valley itself was lush and green, with a spring forming a meandering stream through it, and a lake in the middle of it.

"Here," Mutwa said, "Here is where ya will place ya thoughts and memories. Order dem into der places here." Mutwa directed. Harry quirked his head to the side for a second, and in response, herds of horned animals appeared; wandering and strolling through the lush grass as they grazed in their herds.

Mutwa admired the imagination of the boy. He saw that Harry was quick witted and intelligent, and would no doubt serve GoGo and her purpose well. The very form of Harry's mind showed its affiliation with the Earth and the creation of GoGo. Satisfied with his teaching Harry the ordering and protection of his mind, he nodded to Harry for a job well done. "Good, we are done here. Come boy, da night is still young, and I have much ta show ya." With that, Harry and Mutwa disappeared from the thriving, and very dangerous, ecosystem of Harry's mind.

* * *

Harry and Mutwa both opened their eyes at the same time as they exited Harry's mindscape. Unclenching his hands from Harry's head and letting his claws retract, Mutwa stood up and turned to tend the fire as Harry adapted to being back in the real world. The moon that had been just breaching the horizon when they had begun the work on Harry's mind was now standing full and high overhead in all its midnight glory; the light from the stars and the moon seeming to fully illuminate the land around Mutwa's hut as if it was daylight. Mutwa continued his work on the fire, wiping his hands on his toga and turned from Harry, Mutwa's claw marks on Harry's face left tracks and trickles of blood to trace down Harry's forehead and neck; but the punctures could be seen to be healing quickly.

As Mutwa added wood and stoked the fire with a charred long stick, his voice issued in a solemn and sober tone down to Harry who stayed seated on a log facing the fire. "Boy, what we are going ta do tonight is no of da natural. Da GoGo has commanded dat I teach ya, dat I train ya as quickly as possible. Wit dat in mind, I have no choice but ta call on da ancestors to come and give ya da training dat ya will need." Turning from the fire and pointing the charred stick right at Harry's chest, Mutwa captured Harry's eyes and somberly stated, "If der is one lesson dat you must learn, if der is one thing dat ya should always remember on da pain of ya immortal spirit it is dis... Never ever ever disrespect da dead." Mutwa's eyes glowed with the reflection of the fire, and it seemed as if the sounds of the night hushed as he continued. "If ya disrespect da dead, even da dead of ya enemy, den ya doom yourself. Da dead are hard to destroy boy. Dey can haunt ya, and dey can kill ya if ya anger dem too much. Da walking dead can be controlled by da spirits, can be raised by da spirits, and neither ya breath nor ya venom can kill dem. Ya claws can slice da walking dead, as magical can affect magical, yet dey won't be easily stopped." Mutwa said, focusing back on the fire. "Keep dat thought in mind tonight boy. Fortunately da dead like ta stay in slumber, like to stay where de deserve ta be. So when I call upon dem tonight, and when I teach ya how to call upon dem wit ya magic, show respect. Alright boy?" Mutwa said, turning his head to look down at the still sitting Harry.

Harry read Mutwa's meaning and somber mood and took the lesson to heart. "Yes Mutwa," Harry said.

"Ok," Mutwa said as he reached down to a pouch that was tied to his waist by a thong of animal tendon. Opening the pouch, he sprinkled some sort of a mix of powder into his hand. "By bones and dust of da ancestors, I call on ya spirits of da cursed child!" Mutwa said to the night sky as the land around the hut hushed all sound and the wind ceased to blow. With this statement, Mutwa took the powdered bone and cremated ash of the dead and threw it into the fire where it instantly caused the fire to flare up five feet into the air and turn into black flame. "By blood of da child, I call on ya givers of love for dis boy!" Mutwa said, and with a quick turn towards Harry, Mutwa wiped his finger through the Blood that tracked down Harry's cheek from his head, and then flung the blood off of his finger into the fire. Immediately the fire flared again, this time to the height of ten feet in the air in a bright red color before it receded into itself and only smoky coals could be seen.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the smoke from the goals began to gather and form wispy figures. The wispy figures, first black and white and indistinct, coalesced and seemed to draw color from the surroundings until floating above the fire were two semi transparent figures; one bespectacled with hazel eyes and a messy mop of black hair, the other with creamy skin, beautiful bright green eyes and a bright red mane of hair.

Harry jumped out of his seat, "Mom?" Harry questioned! The spirit on the right nodded with a smile. "Dad?" Harry gasped! The spirit on the left smiled and nodded. A transcendental voice seemed to issue from far far away as the figure of his mother spoke, "We are so sorry we haven't been there for you honey. We love you so much!" The spirit of his Mother said, ethereal tears glistening in her eyes, you could see that she longed to hold her son but knew that it was impossible. "Son," Harry's dad stated, a solemn sad look on his face, "We wanted so much for to be with you and be able to love you, to be able to guide you, and we are sorry that we weren't able to protect you from all of the abuse from the Dursleys."

Speechless in shock for a second, Harry looked down, and then up at his parent's with tears in his eyes, "Then why," he asked plaintively "Then why did I end up with those Bastards! Why the bloody hell did I have to get beaten and nearly starved every day with your sister and her fat lard of a husband?" Harry said, anger and sadness both warring with his happiness at seeing his parent's again.

At this statement, both of his parents immediately showed anger on their faces, his mother answered his question, "We never wanted you to go live with those sorry excuses for fecal matter!" Lily exclaimed. "You were always supposed to live with your Godfather Sirius Black, but that bastard Dumbledore thought that you needed to be with the Dursley's for the "greater good!" She said, nearly shaking with anger. James put his hand out on Lily's shoulder and then looked back at Harry to continue, "You have to understand Harry," James continued, "that when Voldemort attacked us we had been in hiding. Dumbledore had told us that there was a prophecy about you and how you were probably the only one who could destroy the Dark Lord. He offered to cast the fidelius charm on our place in Godric's Hallow, a charm that would hide us from everybody who didn't know of our secret location, and we accepted; but we chose the wrong secret keeper!" This said, it was Lily's turn to comfort James and continue the story to Harry. "Peter Pettigrew, that lousy little rat, was chosen as our secret keeper at Dumbledore's behest, and we should have been safe with everybody expecting your Godfather Sirius to be our secret keeper. But Peter betrayed us!" She spit out in anger. "Peter was a death eater and he told Voldemort the secret of our hiding and even led him to our house on the night of our death! And then, when Sirius went after Peter to avenge our deaths, Peter escaped and framed Sirius!" With this said, you could see that red-headed fury really coming to a boil, "And Dumbledore, that bloody fucking wanker cast Sirius into jail so that he could have control over you! He is the reason you were at the Dursleys and were abused all of those years! It was Dumbledore's 'Greater Good'" Lily said while making air quotes, "That sentenced you to a childhood of abuse that we could only watch helplessly! It was Dumbledore's Greater Good that keeps Sirius rotting in that hell on earth wizarding prison Azkaban!" At this, James wrapped his arm around the shoulder of his shaking wife.

Harry was stunned. He didn't know who this Dumbledore was, but right then he wanted nothing more than to bloody rip his head off! Fuming and huffing, claws slid out of Harry's fingers as he clenched and unclenched his fists, shaking with anger that somebody could destroy his family and his life all because the man thought he knew best for Harry and wanted to control him. Mutwa took a step closer to Harry and reached out a hand to put on his shoulder, "Breath boy, relax. Dis is why ya must get trained dis night. Dis is why da GoGo sent me, ta help ya balance out da tables. Focus on da now. But soon, ya will have ta go back to dat place and right da wrongs dat were done to ya family." Mutwa said consolingly.

Harry looked up and took a big breath, visibly pushing down his anger within himself and sealing it away for a later time and place. Focusing back on his parents, Harry questioned, "So what now? What am I supposed to do Mum and Dad?"

James looked at his son and gave a small smile, "Now Harry, you listen to Mutwa. You grow up and you live. You show those bastards what they did was wrong and you make them eat their mistakes a thousand fold!" Then, with a smug smirk James added, "And you prank the hell out of them before you destroy them." Which received a sharp elbow in the ribs from Lily, but a smile as well. "We want you to be happy and live Harry." Lily said with a smile, "Maybe find a good girl and have a few children! Unfortunately, there is a true prophecy that you will have to deal with if you truly want to live your life." She said, the cheer losing itself from her eyes with the last bit.

"Alright, I'll deal with it." Harry said with a sigh, "So what is this prophecy that's hanging over my head?" He asked, again sitting on the log by the fire and looking up at his parents and Mutwa.

His mother looked down at him and said, "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…_"

The adults were silent as they waited for Harry to contemplate the meaning of the prophecy. Harry was deep in contemplation for a moment, and then questioned his parents, "This Voldemort is the Dark Lord in question?"

"Yes," James said, "At least Dumbledore believed so, and we do believe him on this one. Though his actions surrounding you and our demise make him a bit suspect as being a dark lord as well." Harry's father said, bowing his head and rubbing his head as he pondered his last statement. Looking back up at Harry he continued, "Either way Harry, no matter if it is Dumbledore or Voldemort, as long as either one of them is in power, you will never be truly free. No matter if the prophecy is true or not, both of those wizards will do everything in their power to get at you or control you. So sooner or later, you will have to deal with them and their followers." James said, certainty shining through his eyes as he looked at his son.

The wind blew, and the images of James and Lily wavered above the coals of the fire. The two of them looked at Mutwa, who nodded, and then back at Harry. "It's almost time for us to go Harry," Lily said, "But we want you to know that we love you so much, and will love you no matter what you do." She said. James mirrored her comment, "Take care of yourself, remember to trust your instincts and protect yourself. Kick Dumbledore and Voldemort in the crotch for me while you are at it!" James said with a evil smile. "Goodbye Harry, we love you!" Both of his parents said!

"Goodbye Mum and Dad, I love you too!" Harry replied. Both of his parents smiled at him one more time and then the wind picked up again, the figures dissolving as smoke blown away by the wind.

Harry wiped a tear from his eye and then steeled his features again into his normal mask of hardness. He took a breath, and then focused his attention back to Mutwa. "Thank you for that Mutwa. I really appreciate the chance to talk to them one last time." Harry said.

"Ya are welcome boy. Dat wasn't necessarily da last time, but it will be some time before ya have da ability to call upon them again." Mutwa answers with an understanding smile, his normal stoic demeanor slipping for a second before it returned to his face. Now come, da last lessons of da night mean we must travel a great distance. Follow me but be quiet until I tell ya dat ya can speak." With that, Mutwa turned and started walking out into the night and down the hill towards the river.

* * *

As Mutwa walked down the hill, Harry following just behind his right shoulder, Mutwa started humming a strange discordant tune. The sound seemed to crash against Harry's ear, and he realized that as Mutwa hummed the strange tune he felt the magic within him stir and come alive. Harry's skin felt like it was tingling all over, and the sensation grew until he heard a strange tinkling sound as if glass was shattering, and then the land around him changed.

No longer was the land between Mutwa's hut and the river a simple downhill plain covered by simple thorn trees and waving grass blown by the wind. Instead, all around Harry and Mutwa a mist floated out of the ground, the moon became shadowed, and the ground grew mangled sharp trunks of trees interspersed with what appeared to be boulders. At least that is what Harry thought they were at first.

Walking closer and picking a path among the "trees," Harry was able to see that they weren't boulders, but the skulls of giant dead animals, piles of skulls of apes and other animals lay and crunched under his feet when he stepped. What he thought had been trees were really the desiccated husks and spines of large beasts and the tusks of elephants, the land around him even included what appeared to be the remains of a dragon.

Out of his peripheral vision Harry notice fast movement, but it disappeared before he could focus on it! Again, on his other side he caught a flicker, before it too was gone. Not necessarily afraid, but being cautious, he moved closer to Mutwa as the fog seemed to billow up around them and obscure the view of the surroundings; making anything farther away than fifteen feet totally disappear from view.

"Dey, are the spirits of da beasts who have passed beyond. Dis is da famous elephant graveyard, long sought by those who would desecrate it for the riches of da dead animals. De motion, de are da guardians. Do not attempt to take any of these bones if ya value ya life." Mutwa said in a soft voice, almost whispering out of the side of his mouth. "We head to da grave of Isandhlwana." Mutwa continued as Harry looked up at him, careful not to jostle any of the piles of skeletons that they threaded their way through dead. "If ya know da way, or if da spirits guide ya, ya can use da paths of da dead to go from one place where death is strong to another. Ya can travel hundreds of miles tonight, and yet time will not pass, and we can get to Isandhlwana, where you will gain your power in magic; if da spirits so choose." Mutwa said, focusing back on the path through the fog and bones. "Dis way" Mutwa said with a point of his finger, walking into a fog bank and disappearing from Harry's sight.

Harry sped up his step to keep up with Mutwa, stepping into the fogbank, and then suddenly into clear moon filled night. Beside him lay a white stone cairn, and directly in front of him stood Isandhlwana Hill. In the distance, Harry could make out some form of statute or monument, that appeared to be a necklace of lion's claws laying on the ground. Mutwa interrupted Harry's examination of the land around him with an explanation, "Dis is where da British did die. Dis is da site of where da Zulu, wit spear and magic did best da British muggles and der wand wizards. Dis is where we will start, and over dere is where ya will finish; if ya are lucky and ya survive da night. Dis is da battlefield of Isandhlwana, and da fall of da first British invasion. Da people won dis battle, but dey ended up losing da war because they did no have da tools to fight back against da British. Ya must learn ta use these tools if ya want ta win when ya return ta ya country, boy." Mutwa stated, giving Harry a sharp look.

Harry looked up at Mutwa, and nodded his head in silent agreement. With that, he and Mutwa walked up to the white stone cairn of the British dead, the full moon overhead making the white stones to almost glow as if they were skulls.

Walking up to the pile of stones, Harry at his side, Mutwa reached out with his right hand and picked up the top stone off of the pile, and turned and handed it to Harry. Mutwa then took several quick steps back from the pile of stones.

Suddenly an eerie blood curdling scream screeched through the night! A ghastly hissing came out of the air around them, and a green mist seemed to leak out of the stones before Harry and Mutwa. Making a gulp in his throat, Harry took a step back from the pile.

"DESECRATORS! Thieves! Charlatans! Mudblood scum, I will destroy you!" Came a shout from the mist as it turned into the form of a white pith-helmeted British officer, wand in one hand and saber in the other held on high. "I killed many of your Impi and witch doctors before they took me down, and I'll add you to them now!" It said as it took a step down off of the cairn and towards Mutwa as if to run him through, but Harry quickly interposed himself between the Spirit and Mutwa.

"Please sir!" Harry said quickly, showing the stone to the ghost of the dead officer, "He did it on my request, and I'm British sir, Please!" Harry pleaded, remembering Mutwa's comments about respecting the dead; especially since this spirit seemed to be armed!

"What! What did you say boy? British are you? Then what are you doing with this Zulu?" The ghost said, pointing at Mutwa with his saber to further make his point.

"He is teaching me sir, my parents were killed by a dark wizard back in Great Britain, and we only wanted to talk to you. I am Harry Potter sir." Harry said, trying to keep to his most polite voice possible; he had a lot of practice with it too given that he had always had to use it at the Dursleys.

The ghost looked taken aback, and stopped his advance on Harry and Mutwa; who stayed silent during the entire exchange. This was to be Harry's show, and survive or not, it would be up to Harry whether Harry lived through the night.

"Potter did you say? Potter?" The Ghost uttered, sheathing its sword, "Why my sister Dorea married a Potter! Hmmm, what was his name again, Charlus Potter? Why yes! You do have the facial features of a bit of the Potters and the Blacks... Hmmm, you have my nose!" The ghost said, now circling Harry as if examining a soldier.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't know what you are talking about. My parents were killed when I was one, sir." Harry said, trying to keep track of the still armed ghost who still had his wand out, even if the ghost was using it to tap his chin as it seemed to think.

"That must make you my Grand-Nephew then boy!" The ghost said with a ghost of a smile. "Well then, let me have a look at you! Stand up stand up, straighten up that spine! Suck in that gut soldier!" The ghost said, commanding Harry into an attention position as if Harry were one of his recruits. The ghost emphasized his commands with a push or a hit on Harry, which much to his shock, Harry actually felt... "All the more reason to keep this armed ghost happy," Harry thought to himself as he stood at attention, face forward towards the cairn.

"I am Mage-Colonel first class Scorpius Black, representative of the British Ministry of Magic in its expansion into the Magical Zulu-lands, and you look to be in good shape, but that haircut of yours is an absolute disgrace my boy! A disgrace! We will have to do something about that immediately!" With that said, as quick as a whistle, the ghost of Scorpius Black whipped out its saber and flicked it three times before Harry had a chance to blink!

Harry was shocked to feel his hair tumble down his shoulders and off of his body, a strange feeling of his head feeling lighter and the wind caressing his ears greeted him. He had just been saber shorn! "At least I still have my head on my shoulders," he thought to himself. Harry was too shocked to make a statement.

"Much better, much better my boy, now you look reasonable at least. Make sure to groom it a bit later, and run a comb through it for Merlin's sake boy!" Scorpius said. "Now what did you want to talk about Potter?" The ghost asked as it came around Harry and stood in front of him.

"I have to learn magic sir, if I'm going to survive. There is a prophecy that says that I have to defeat this dark lord, and I was wondering if you could help?" Harry asked, looking up at his great-uncle.

"By Jove yes I can help boy, but it is a bit of dark magic, that is for sure," the ghost of Scorpius Black said as he rubbed his chin in thought, wand still in hand. "If I do this boy, it is going to hurt a lot, so you have to understand that right away. The other thing you have to know is that you will be my heir, so there will be certain responsibilities that you will have to deal with if you return to Great Britain; that includes fulfilling any outstanding contracts or depts." The ghost said, looking deep into Harry's eyes. "Not the Heir of the Family Head of the Blacks, but of my line. Is that clear? Are you willing to pay the price for this Harry?"

Harry looked back at the ghost, the hardness that had been tempered into his spirit by all of the beatings and hardship in his life shining through to the ghost of his ancestor. "Yes, I'll take the pain and the responsibilities. I need this training, and I apparently don't have the time to do it any way else, so bring it on!" Harry said with a steely look.

A big smile broke out on Scorpius's face. "Right'o, good show chap. Well its pretty simple actually. I just have to possess you." The ghost said with a grin. "It will hurt like the dickins and leave you feeling totally out of sorts, but you should learn all of my spell work and be able to use a wand and saber right well if you ever get one in your hands." Then the ghost's smile turned dark as it added, "I was always rubbish at healing, but in death and destruction I was aces. You will know the Black family spells, and what most would call the 'dark arts,' rather well when this is done. So are you still ready for this?" The ghost said, giving Harry a last chance out.

Harry looked the ghost in the eye and said, "Do your worst."

To which the ghost replied as it stepped up to him, "Oh, you will probably wish that I killed you rather than going through this, I hear it's worse than the cruciatus curse." Scorpius said, and with that, he stepped up and disappeared into Harry's body.

* * *

Pain, ultimate agonizing pain. It wasn't a fiery pain, no, it was the pain of bone chilling shattering cold; the cold of the grave hit Harry like a ton of bricks. It felt like he was dipped in liquid nitrogen and then had every fiber and nerve in his body systematically struck with little hammers, all at the same time. That was only the physical symptom, his brain and spirit were experiencing the pain of an entirely different sort.

Being skewered by pillars of earth and then torn apart by hundreds of thrusting spear wielding Impi can really put a damper on your day. In Harry's mind, he was reliving the life and very bloody death of Scorpius Black; from his years at Hogwarts and his time in Slytherin, to his study of the dark arts in the Black family home and even his death at the hands of the Zulu witch doctors and Impi.

The life of Scorpius Black flew by before Harry's mind's eye. The next thing he knew, he was laying on the ground coming awake after passing out from mental and physical overload.

"Owwwwwww." Was pretty much the only thing that came to mind and uttered from Harry's lips as he lay staring up at the moon. A few minutes passed, until Mutwa finally leaned over Harry into his view and smiled down at him. "Ya going to get up any time soon boy?" Mutwa questioned.

"That bloody sucked!" Harry said, wiping drool from his chin and tasting a bit of blood from where he must have bit his tongue during the pain. Sitting up, he waited until the earth stopped spinning, before he proceeded to fully get up and look around.

Scorpius was gone, back to his resting place among the dead. The cairn stone that Mutwa had removed and handed to Harry was once again perched upon the top of the cairn as if it had never been removed. Shaking his head, and wondering if it had only been a dream, Harry realized that he could remember all about Scorpius's childhood and life in the Black family. He knew spells that he had never been taught, and dark arts that would surely get him a one way trip to Azkaban if anybody ever learned that he knew them. Even more so, he knew that he would be reasonably handy with a sword or saber in his hand, and he knew how to comport himself as a pureblood scion of wealth in the wizarding world of Great Britian. "This will be very handy," Harry thought to himself with an evil smile, as he sorted all of his new found knowledge into its proper place. He now understood why Mutwa said he would have gone insane if he hadn't already learned how to separate out the knowledge and use it. He had received ALL of Scorpius's knowledge, and that even included the automatic thoughts like how to keep his heart beating and remembering to breathe. It would have been pretty dangerous if he had two competing thoughts telling his heart to beat or his organs to work, so his occlumency skills were definitely needed to sort through the experiences and see what he needed to get rid of.

"Come, we have one more thing ta do before da night is done." Mutwa said as he started to walk away from Harry and towards the monument to the dead Zulu Impi, fully expecting Harry to follow him. Harry did just that.

* * *

As they walked up to the monument to the Zulu's who had defeated the British yet suffered over 1,000 dead and more than 2000 wounded, Mutwa turned to Harry and gave him an order. "Just as I stood behind ya at da last grave and stayed silent, so will ya stay silent and back at da other grave until I tell ya otherwise, ya hear me boy?" Mutwa said commandingly.

"Absolutely!" Harry said, fully meaning the answer as they walked up to the giant stone necklace shaped monument.

"Stand here, and do no move." Mutwa said, pointing to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the lions claws that were the middle part of the necklace. Harry did so, as Mutwa continued up the stairs and stepped over the lion's claws until he was in the middle of the monument.

Mutwa held out his hands "Inkuku ukuza!" he shouted, and a chicken appeared in his hands, most likely summoned from a local farm as it slept in its coop. Holding it by the neck in one hand, Mutwa extended the claw on his thumb, and used it to quickly flick, beheading the bird and then dropping both the head and the body on the ground of the monument as both a placation to the ancestors as well as to draw the spirit of the Sangoma, witch doctor, closer to the living world.

As the blood fell and pooled on the monument it seemed to spread for a second, until it suddenly paused its flowing, and sucked back towards the body of the dead flopping bird and then was absorbed into the monument. What issued up from the monument was not the green ghostly vapors that had happened when Scorpius appeared, but rather, it was as if the dust of the ground came up to be joined in a swirl of wind with the misted blood of chicken. All of this was bathed in moonlight, and Harry could feel the hairs on his arms and head try to stand on end as the magic of the world around him sucked towards the monument. With a loud *Crack* or thunderclap, what, or who in this case, was now standing on the monument did not appear as a ghost, but as a real man.

(Greetings Grandfather.) Mutwa said to the figure in Zulu, bobbing his head in almost a small quick bow.

(Greetings Grandson) The Spirit of the Sangoma, ancient witch doctor, replied in the same language, his voice booming out of his mostly naked form, only a loincloth around his waist, a necklace similar to the monument around his neck. Looking up, the spirit noticed Harry standing behind Mutwa and growled, taking a step forward as his hands clenched. With the clenching of his hands, the earth around Isandhlwana began to shake and buckle, rocks tumbled down the hill in the distance as they were shaken loose from their resting places.

(No!) Mutwa commanded in Zulu, (You will not harm the boy! He is under my protection and is to be taught by you! You may not attack him!) Mutwa said as he interposed himself between the vengeful Spirit and Harry who stood at a respectable distance not understanding the dialog that was going on between Mutwa and the Spirit, but clearly recognizing the anger in the eyes of the Spirit.

(He is british! He is white! I hate them! My grandchildren's grandchildren cry out to me in their suffering! This "Apartheid" was brought by the whites and continues to destroy our people! How can you stand there and protect such as him!) The Spirit angrily spat, almost foaming at the mouth to get his hands around Harry or smite him down with magic.

(No! You know the laws! GoGo has commanded that we are to respect the races and species, this is not the one who hurt you, nor is he the one who hurt your children! The rule is clear, you may not hurt this individual!) Mutwa said, holding out his hand to calm and press against the witch doctor. Mutwa stepped forward to tower over the spirit.

(You brought him here! I will do as I please! I curse him...) The Spirit said, attempting to shrug off Mutwa's hand and command the Earth to skewer Harry, the sky's to rend him to pieces with the sharp cutting wind, and the fire to take him!

But Mutwa would not be daunted. His hand shot out and grabbed the spirit by the throat, pulling the spirit off of the ground and strangling off the curse before it could be rendered! Mutwa's eyes flashed gold, and an aura of green and golden power seemed to erupt from Mutwa's form! (No Grandfather! Do not make me destroy you! GoGo has commanded that he be taught. He is not like them who hurt us! He is of us, of the GoGo! Would you attack the messenger of GoGo? Would you attack one who is tied to the GoGo? It is his job to go back to the world of the whites, to their precious civilization and bring it in line with GoGo's will; to balance nature. Would you really fight against GoGo and be destroyed?) Mutwa's voice said, the sky's brewing with sudden thunderclouds that blocked out the moon and stars, and his voice seeming to echo from the sky. Mutwa's eyes flashed, and the horizon was suddenly lit up with the light of a thousand lightning bolts striking the earth and lighting the scene from night to day! "Harry," Mutwa said, not taking his eyes off the spirit, "Show da man ya spirit, call on da power of da GoGo and da Nundu." Mutwa commanded.

Harry did just that, as he looked up into the eyes of the Spirit, who still glared at Harry with malice, Harry began to change. Slowly, his pupils elongated until they were slit cat's eyes, the green of his eyes seeming to glow and radiate their own light. His teeth grew into a sharp toothed maw, and claws sprung out of his hands. Harry hunched down, and then his body seemed to explosively grow in an instant, turning into a towering Nundu that glared balefully down at the Spirit who seemed to be a threat to Harry and Mutwa.

The transformation startled the Spirit! Staring up at the figure of the untamable beats, the spirit of the witch doctor blinked a couple of times as it stared at what had just a moment ago been a white boy but now was filled with the power of GoGo. The spirit could see the magic in the figure before him, and he knew what that magic meant. Suddenly, it burst out of the spirit once, and then twice, a sound deep in his chest.

"Ha... Ha HA, HAHA HA HAHA HAHAHA HA HA HA..." The spirit was laughing, great body shaking chuckles. With these chuckles the land ceased its quaking, at which point Mutwa lowered the spirit to the ground and reigned in his own magic. The clouds seemed to disappear in an instant, and the night was still, if not a little more moist from the storm clouds that had quickly dissipated and been absorbed by the warm night air.

Letting their magic back into their bodies, the two witch doctors took a step back from each other as the Spirit brought his laughter under control.

"Come up here boy. Let me get a look at ya." The spirit of the witch doctor said, now smiling at Harry who was still in his Nundu form. Mutwa turned to stand beside the spirit and also look at Harry.

Harry quickly released the spirit of the Nundu and turned back into his two legged form, looking a bit surprised to be spoken to in English by the spirit of the witch doctor.

"Don't look so surprised boy." The spirit said, without any malice in his voice, "Didn't my Grandson teach ya to know da abilities of ya enemy? I learned English a long time ago when we went ta war with da British." The spirit said, smiling down at Harry. "Well boy? What are ya waiting for? Come up here!" The spirit commanded, sounding very similar to the deep booming voice of Mutwa.

Harry did just that, walked up the steps onto the monument and stepped over the stone claws of the necklace, coming up beside the two taller men.

"Ah yes, I can see da power in ya boy. Ya body is almost on fire with da magic." The spirit told Harry as he looked Harry over. "I can't give ya my knowledge of herbs, and I doubt de would do ya any good in Britian anyway. But I can give ya da ability to see da magic and understand it, to control da elements, and even ta work without a twig, or as da wizards like to call it, a wand." The spirit said to Harry.

Harry smiled at the spirit, "Yes please sir!" he said.

The spirit smiled down at Harry, and his smile morphed into showing a bit of an evil side, "Dis will hurt boy. Are ya ready for it?" The spirit asked.

Harry answered under his breath, "When does it ever not hurt?" He said, as he took a big breath and braced himself.

The Spirit's ear twitched and he smirked as he heard Harry's mumbled words. Stepping in front of Harry, the witch doctor spit in his hand, Clapped his two hands together over his head, and then *POW* used both of his hands to palm smack Harry on both sides of his head!

Harry's ear drums burst, but quickly healed. "Owww..." Harry said, wobbling around from the blow. "Wait, that wasn't so bad..." He said out loud, "But I don't feel any different." Harry said as he looked up in bewilderment at the two witch doctors.

"Wait for it..." The Spirit of the witch doctor said with an evil smile as he and Mutwa took a big step backwards.

*"KAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOM!*

A HUGE bolt of Lightning spilt the clear night sky and struck Harry so hard that he seemed to disappear!... Only to reappear falling to the ground as the bolt had blasted into him so hard that he had rebound off the earth and had flown 15 feet into the air!

AAAAaaaaaagggghhh! *Fwap* Harry's body flailed through the air until it suddenly impacted face first with the ground.

The only sound that could be heard by the two smirking Witch Doctors was a muffled "Owwwwww..." as Harry groaned into the dirt that his face and body had just made a Harry-like impression in.

"How do ya feel boy?" The Spirit's voice said to Harry.

"Owwwww" Harry answered as he found the energy to flop himself over on his back, keeping his eyes closed as they looked to the sky.

"Open ya eyes boy, the view will chase away the pain." Mutwa commanded.

Opening his eyes to the world, Harry was dazzled by the myriad colors and lights that seemed to flood his eyes. The world was simply awash with power! Lines of light ran through the air, stretching out into the distance. A large line, that looked almost like a main cable for an nuclear power plant, ran from the monument to the fallen Zulu and directly towards the Islandhlwana Hill; there it shot into the sky and seemed to spread out in the upper atmosphere! Each blade of grass had its own aura, every tree, even looking down at his hands and body he could see a golden red white and green nimbus that seemed to extend from his body by at least 3 feet.

Looking up at Mutwa and the Spirit, Harry was amazed to see them both awash in the same golden glow, yet both of them only had an aura that extended a few inches from their skin. The Spirit seemed to have a string of light tying from his belly button down to the monument below him.

"Wow!" Harry uttered, the throbbing in his head slowly receding.

"Good boy, ya can see da magic." The Spirit said, "Give ya self a good night sleep, and den tomorrow ya and Mutwa can practice what ya learned from me. For now, blink ya eyes and think of going back to ya original vision."

Harry did just as the Spirit directed, and as he blinked his eyes and willed his sight to go back to "normal," it did just that. Standing up shakily, Harry realized that he still had what felt like a hangover, and his body ached all over from the charge that had hit him.

"Come boy, I'll take ya home a different route so ya don't have to walk it." Mutwa said, walking down the monument and giving Harry's staggering figure a hand up and something to balance on. Turning to the Spirit, Mutwa said, (Thank you Grandfather. It was good to see you again. Tell Grandmother greetings from me.) He said.

The Spirit answered (Yes, I will do so. If I didn't tell her that, then she would come back and haunt you!) The Spirit said with a smile. With that, there was a sucking sound, and the Spirit and any trace of the night's events at the Impi monument disappeared into a vortex in the air; then it too disappeared.

With that done, Mutwa and Harry made a small *Pop* sound, as the two disappeared, apparating away to Mutwa's hut on the Zambezi.

The only evidence that they had even been at Isandhlwana was the distinctly human shaped impression in the ground before the monument.

* * *

**AN: Well? I hope you are all happy? (I know the truth, the reader is never happy with the length and always wants more*) However, there is something close to 9700 words in this chapter alone; not including the author's notes! That is usually equivalent to two of my normal chapters, so you won't be seeing the next chapter until probably Tuesday at the earliest; I need to catch up on Harry Potter And The Aspects Of Death next. Well, did you like it? Please write me a review. Honestly, if I get enough reviews that inspire me I may put in the extra effort to get another chapter of this out Monday rather than pushing it back a couple of more days. It's all about the inspiration for me, as I'm writing this for fun and to increase my writing ability. So, please give me your thoughts and comments! Best wishes!**


	8. Chapter 8: Out of Africa

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Well, it's been too long since I last wrote mostly because I've been working 12 to 14 hour days 7 days a week for the last three weeks. Stress does not normally breed the fun and frivolity that it takes to write this story, so today was my first chance to catch up. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and taking time to write to me, and now back to the story. I stopped this chapter shorter than I wanted to, so another one will be forthcoming very soon. Best wishes to all of you and I'm looking forward to getting to Hogwarts just as much as you are.**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 8: Out of Africa**

England is a very popular foreign country to visit because the people there speak some English. ~ Dave Barry (The only Travel Guide you'll ever need)

The morning after "Mutwa's-Magic-School-Of-Hard-Knocks" started out early, not giving Harry a chance to really rest before Mutwa sent him on his run and swim down the river. Without a magical focus by which Harry could practice the skills and spells from the former Black, Harry was forced to focus on his wandless elemental and nature magic granted to him by the spirit of the witchdoctor. Thus began a week of integrating the skills that Harry had learned from the Zulu witchdoctor's spirit. His days were spent in learning the necessary biology of the hunt, the physiology of his body and his physical capabilities, and the science of the elements; again, painful subjects to learn.

Life on the veldt was hard, and the lessons learned usually where enforced by pain. This caused Harry to firmly implant several cause and effect lessons when using his elemental powers. Lessons like:

Don't try to electrocute the pursuing hippos while you are in the water with them; Harry's hair hadn't stopped standing on end for three hours after that one, and Mutwa seemed to enjoy Harry's electricity induced stuttering way too much. Or,

Rhinos and Erumpent don't like you lighting bushes or trees on fire and they are known to stampede in and stomp out the fire, along with any people in their way. Or,

Water spouts the size of tornado's are not the best way to get a drink of water when you are a bit thirsty, though they are a good way to cool down and create an elephant mud wrestling pit; watch out for displaced carnivorous fish. Or,

Earthquakes affect not only the earth around your target, but your own footing as well. Mutwa had been pissed when Harry knocked down his hut, forcing Harry to use his strength and elemental powers to rise up a much larger house and enclosure for Mutwa's future enjoyment. Or,

Wind + Fire = Boom! It also equals to a loss of body hair and the distinct smell of singed nostril hairs that doesn't really wash off all that well. Mutwa was again not happy when Harry had decided to add fuel to the campfire by using the wind as his aid to pick up logs, causing both men to enjoy the itching of their fast healing powers and re-growing hair. The older witchdoctor's response had been to keep Harry running the entire night, in one form or another, across the width of Africa.

This pattern of physical and natural magic exercise filled Harry's days whereas Mutwa filled Harry's nights with the oral legends and knowledge of the veldt and da GoGo. "Ghost stories" around the campfire took on a whole new meaning for Harry as Mutwa gave fast paced explanations on the intricacies of dealing with the spirits of the ancestors and how to walk the shadowed paths of the dead. His days were jam packed with knowledge and enforced skill learning as the older Witchdoctor drilled Harry through what accounted to a weeklong witchdoctor boot camp from hell.

The week seemed to drag on forever for Harry as he was forcefully taught the skills of the pack and the witchdoctor. As July 31st rolled around, totally unnoticed by Harry, and just when Harry thought he might take a weekend break with the baboons by the Marula tree, Mutwa and Harry's hunt was interrupted by a blast of fire and a startled squawk of a phoenix.

* * *

July 31st should have been a wonderful day for Albus Dumbledore, a day when his tool, um, he meant his ward returned to the Wizarding world and was sculpted towards the task dictated by fate and the greater good, aka Albus Dumbledore.

The day had started off so well for Albus. Wake up and put on a nice pair of fuzzy socks, have a good BM, eat a lemon drop or two, correspond with Minister Fudge on suggestions for new laws in support of Muggle-rights and the importation of muggle sweets into the wizarding world, enjoy a nice English fry-up with the staff in the Great Hall, and then return to his office to check on the devices monitoring Harry Potter; and that's when his day went to hell.

The beeping device didn't beep, the puffer didn't puff, the silver spinney thing didn't spin, and the life crystal was deader than a very dead thing. Albus Dumbledore's bushy eyebrows reached for the ceiling as his eyes widened in horror, and his lemon drop fell out of his wide open mouth. Quickly turning and running into his back office, Albus literally dived into the nice neat piles of auto-addressed letters to new Hogwarts invitees and their responses, frantically searching the piles for a response or addressed envelope to Harry Potter.

"Parkinson, Patil… No Damnit! Where is Potter?" Dumbledore cursed as he flailed the once neat envelopes around the room. "Ah-ha, Potter! Found it!" Dumbledore shouted with relief, turning to reenter his office; only to be stopped at the threshold when he looked down at the address on the letter.

Mr. Harry James Potter

"Somewhere In The Embrace of Gaia"

Planet Earth

Face ashen and completely flabbergasted by what he read, Albus was both relieved that the boy was still alive yet terrified that he could not track the boy. The self addressing book would have been able to find Harry if he was anywhere in Great Britain or Europe. Struck by a thought, Albus hurdled his desk, with surprising grace for somebody going on closer to 200 than 100 years old, threw the envelope over his shoulder and quickly floo'd to Arabella Figg's house.

As Dumbledore disappeared in a flash of green flames towards Privet Drive, the "addressed" envelope to Mr. Potter flew through the air and bopped Dumbledore's familiar Fawkes on the beak, causing said Phoenix to sneeze and also disappear in a flash of flames; headed off with an envelope to location unknown.

* * *

"Arabella! Arabella! Where are you!" Albus said as he stepped out of the floo and onto the tail of one of Ms. Figg's numerous catlike kneazles. Said kneazle screeched and took off across the floor, digging in with its claws to grab enough purchase to pull its tail out from under the full weight of Dumbledore, thus causing a chain reaction that would add to Albus Dumbledore's very bad day.

The tail flew out from under his feet. His feet flew up off the ground propelled by the pull of the ugly kneazle, launching Albus back against the mantle and then towards the floor. Albus's flailing attempts to keep his balance ended up hooking under the body of another kneazle in the room, launching said kneazle screeching into air and then landing with its full weight, legs akimbo and claws fully extended, on Albus Dumbledore's crotch, just as Dumbledore hit the floor.

"woooooOOOOOFFFFF!" The spiky heavy weight of the kneazle hit him in his man-bits and then latched on with its claws with all of its strength, causing Albus's wide eyes to cross and dispersed all of the breath from his lungs. The expulsion of breath launched Albus's upper torso and head shooting off the ground and up towards a sitting position. Albus's gasp for air launched his head up at an amazing speed, just in time for the porcelain container of floo powder that was recently perched on the mantle and dislodged by Albus's blow, to meet his forehead as the container descended towards the ground; knocking Albus back and sending his world spinning.

*PooooF!* The floo powder flew everywhere in a crystalline cloud of microscopic particles and glitter, painting Dumbledore's face white like a clown and forcing his head back under the mantle place and into the slightly burning fire.

Dazed, Dumbledore suddenly realized he was very warm. No, change that, he was really hot. Check that, he was on fire!

"Shit!" Dumbledore yelled as he tried to get out of the fire and into Ms. Figg's house, only to disappear in a flash of green flames.

Five minutes passed before Albus returned to Arabella Figg's house via the floo. Stepping out of the fire was a very different looking, and smelling, Albus Dumbledore. Apparently "shit" was the floo address for the warehouse and delivery spot for "Abe's Magical Manure and Fertilizers." Albus reentered Ms. Figg's house with a singed beard, white face, and covered in dragon feces, a magical fertilizer that apparently resisted scorgifying spells and smelled to high heaven. Albus stomped through Arabella's house and across the street to the Durselys' residence; leaving fleeing animals and children, stunned birds and insects, and brown muddy footprints in his wake.

Stomping across the street and through the overgrown yard and tangled bushes, Albus walked up to the door of the darkened house, assumed his grandfatherly look, knocked, and waited.

He waited, and then he waited some more. "Hmmmm, nobody is home." Albus thought to himself, as he moved off of the porch and in between overgrown and thoroughly dead rosebushes to look in the window of the house.

Peering through the front window of the house, the inside the house was dark as the back windows and doors had plywood nailed up over them and yellow ribbons of tape were stretched around the stairway to the upper floors. What was left of the furniture in the living room of the house was covered in sheets and a thick layer of dust and cobwebs was strewn about the room.

"Hmmm," Albus said to himself as he leaned back from the window and approached the front door again. "Perhaps they are on an extended vacation." He continued, readying his wand to open the front door of the house.

"Hey!" "Hey You, ya bum!" "Get out of here!" A voice issued from Dumbledore's left and from over the neighbor's hedge. There, armed with a rake was a neighbor in a bathrobe and slippers, slightly balding and of a blotchy complexion with bad teeth, "We don't like you freaky no-good types around here with us normal taxpaying people! Get out of here before I call the police on you!" The neighbor yelled at Dumbledore, shaking his rake to accentuate his statement.

"Hmmm, must be some sort of new muggle lingo," Dumbledore thought to himself. Putting on his grandfatherly and commanding air, as well as somebody covered in shit can do so, Dumbledore walked off the porch and towards the shrubbery that separated the property; causing the neighbor to slightly back up as the disturbing old man in the dress approached him. "Pardon me, can you tell me when the Dursley's are expected to get home from their vacation?" Dumbledore asked with a smile and a twinkle of his eyes; the twinkle would have been more effective if his spectacles hadn't been covered in feces.

Disgusted at the site before him, the neighbor responded, "I should have known that you were here for the Dursleys! That scum was carted away by the police when their nephew disappeared." The neighbor stated with a grimace, the contents of his tale startling Dumbledore.

"What? What do you mean carted away by the police? Where did the nephew disappear to?" Dumbledore said with some fervor.

"They claimed that they didn't have a nephew, that they never had a nephew and didn't know what the police were talking about. It was on the news old man; don't you pay attention to anything? What, are you living in medieval times or something; it was the story of the year!" The neighbor stated, "First they get arrested for their involvement at the zoo, then they are mysteriously returned to their house, yet they stopped talking about their delinquent of a nephew and the school can't find the boy. The school finally sent over the truant officer, who found a blood soaked pad in a barred cupboard under the stairs and called the police. None of the scum who used to live there ever admitted to having a nephew, even though the wife had constantly gossiped about the boy and we always saw him working in the yard, on the roof, or cleaning the car; well, we always saw him until they came back from the police the first time." Scoffing to himself, the neighbor continued, "They actually tried to tell the judge that they never had a nephew, even the young whale of a boy who used to terrorize the neighborhood lied and was shipped off to a delinquents home." The neighbor said with a shake of his head, suddenly realizing he was talking to a very stinky old man with a half burned beard who was giving him a scowl. "But that's all you need to know! So get out of here!" The neighbor said with a final shake of his rake and then turned and entered his house, punctuating the end of the conversation by slamming the door.

Albus was completely befuddled, doped, and stupefied over what to do as he stood in the Dursley's yard, stunned by the news. "I've lost the Boy-Who-Lived." He thought to himself, the only sound around him the buzzing of flies that circled him, yet kept a distance due to the dangerous nature of the fumes that issued from Albus's robes. "What am I to do?" Albus thought, stroking his mangled and besmeared beard. Then it came to him in an instant, "The envelope!" Albus shouted out loud, causing the neighbors up and down the street to stop peeking at the crazy man and further hide behind the blinds of their windows.

"Maybe Fawkes can use the envelope to bring me to Mr. Potter." Albus said to himself as he quickly ran back towards, and into, Ms. Figg's house. Albus ran towards the fireplace and reached for where the floo powder would have been. In his rush to return to the office and find the letter with Harry's address, he found himself acting on autopilot and stepped into the burning fire.

"Shit!" Dumbledore said as he was once again lit on fire, only to disappear in a green flash of flames as the floo powder on his face ignited.

* * *

Cat's have a natural urge to hunt and kill birds. Small cat's hunt small birds, and large cats hunt large birds. So it was that when Fawkes appeared in front of Harry while Harry was in his Nundu form and deeply focused on hunting, that Harry's urge immediately switched from chasing impala to going after the brightly colored bird in front of him. Human children have the instinct to grab shiny objects, and when that instinct was coupled with the large cat's urge to hunt birds, then the phoenix just became the ultimate chew-toy for Nundu-Harry to pounce on.

"ROOOOAAAAAWWWWRRRR!" Harry released as he sprang into the air at the newly appeared Fawkes.

Fawkes's reply was an inelegant "SQUAAAAAWKK!" as he flashed away in a burst of flames and a fluttering of a few feathers that were molted in fear, just as Harry's claws were about to impact with his body.

Lashing out through the fire with his claws, Harry felt a claw snag something, yet no meaty snack was left behind after the burst of fire cleared.

Landing silently and perfectly, as only a graceful cat can do, Harry turned over his paw and saw an envelope was pierced through the middle by his scimitar sharp claw. Phasing back into his "human" form, Harry's hand grasped the envelope that was stuck on his finger, and turned to where he knew Mutwa was hidden in the grass.

"Mutwa, you expecting any mail?" Harry asked as the Witchdoctor walked out of the tall grass in his human form.

"No boy, dat is for ya to open. GoGo told me to expect it. Read da name." Mutwa answered.

Turning the envelope over, Harry was surprised to see his name on it. Never in his memory could he remember getting a letter from anybody. Quickly transforming one fingernail into a razor sharp claw, he slit the top of the envelope and pulled out the letter:

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and Equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Well crap." Harry said, "It's due today if I'm supposed to go. You sure I'm supposed to go to this place?" Harry said as he looked up and focused on Mutwa.

"Yes cub, dis is yer goal, dis is yer destiny. Da GoGo told me I would have ta train ya fast, and now ya have to go." Mutwa replied.

"Alright, I'll do it." Harry said as he pulled out the list of required items. "But how am I to respond and where am I to get all of this stuff?" He said, showing the list to Mutwa.

"First we stop for some money, den I take ya to Cape Town. Da goblins can get yer letter ta Hogwarts today and den back to Britian where ya can get yer stuff." Mutwa stated as he started to lead Harry towards the Falls. "Come, follow me" He stated, before turning into his Nundu form and loping away.

Harry in turn embraced the Nundu spirit and turned into his larger form, the envelope and his loincloth going to that place where his clothes went whenever he turned into an animal form. He quickly loped after Mutwa.

The pair of Nundu's charged through the veldt on their way towards the river and the base of the falls; nothing dared to get in the way of the two real "kings of the jungle." Running so fast that the muggle tourists at the top of the falls couldn't see them, the two picked their way down the rocks at incredible speed until their images where lost from view in the mist at the base of the falls.

At the base of the falls, on a little path that led right up to the rocky cliff that the water tumbled over, Mutwa and Harry turned back into their human forms. Shouting over the roar of the water, Mutwa explained, "Dis is a secret boy, shared and passed down by the lost tribe to my father and his father's father. Dis is where we will get yer spending cash until ya can meet wit the goblins and see if ya own any money or properties." Mutwa shouted with a sharp toothed smile. Quickly slicing the palm of his hand with his nail, he waited until the blood pooled in his hand and then slammed his fist into a hole in the rocky cliff.

The earth began to rumble and shift, as a great cracking sound issued over the sound of the falling water. As if immerging on invisible hinges, the entire rocky face seemed to split in half, rock doors 12 feet wide by 20 feet high split and opened from behind the waterfall, totally invisible to those not right next to them due to the amount of water in the air.

Harry was shocked, even though he could see the magic on the hinges as they opened, the artists who had crafted the doors had carved them so that they seamlessly meshed with the walls of the cliff and also hid any of their magic from an outside viewer. There had been no way to tell that anything existed before Mutwa had unlocked the ancient magic that opened the doors.

"Come," Mutwa said as he walked into the darkness that was beyond the doors, disappearing into the mysterious darkness that Harry with his perfect night vision still couldn't see through.

Shaking off his stupor, Harry walked through the doors and into the darkness. After he took two steps into the darkness, it was as if a veil had been lifted or blinders had been taken off of his eyes. The room was simply aglow.

Sparkling, gleaming, glistening, shining, the room was alight by magic, but it was the walls and floors that took Harry's breath away. To Harry's right, the wall was a solid mass of darker platinum veins and brighter silvery streaks, some as wide as he was tall. The ceiling seemed to be one gigantic gold nugget as it's knobbed and polished form seemed to reflect the light down towards the walls, and it was the left wall that got the most of Harry's attention. A silvery and white material lined the wall, but it was what was sticking out of wall that really caught his attention. Gems, Thousands and Millions of Gems stuck out of the wall, some piercing the wall and jutting out like swords as their prismatic glory bounced and reflected the light off of the rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds that magically were all contained in the matter of one wall. The floor he was walking on was an ebony color that was veined with some dark red material, like the veins of a great black dragon. He was simply speechless for a second by the amount of wealth around him. Having come from such a poor lifestyle, he couldn't imagine what it was like to own all of this wealth. Licking his lips to wet his mouth so he could talk, he broke his eyes away from the walls and floor around him to look towards Mutwa and the expanse before him; the tunnel around him seemed to issue into a large cave before him which also sparkled and shown from some magical light.

"Where are we?" Harry said in wide eyed awe.

"Welcome to da mines of Solomon cub." Mutwa said with a smile as he waved his arm at the riches around him. "Ya have gems and mitril on the wall, platinum and silver, ya stand on ebony and adamantium in its natural state, and above us is gold. Dis is a dwarf's dream and a goblin's paradise." Mutwa explained with a gleam in his eye.

Stunned, Harry looked around, "Then why do you live in a mud hut if you have access to all of this?" Harry exclaimed with surprise.

"Ah, der is da lesson boy. Look at my eyes cub and learn dis lesson well as it will be da last for a long time." Mutwa said, capturing all of Harry's attention immediately.

"Dis wealth, dis is not my wealth, dis is not needed ta survive. I do what da GoGo set out for me ta do, and I don't need more den dat." Mutwa explained as he stared down at Harry ,"Dos that would pillage da GoGo, dat would rape da GoGo of all dat is good, of all dat they can gain are worthless, are not natural, are not of da balance." He explained, "Yes, we will use dis because ya have a need, but if ya didn't need then I would never have shown dis to ya. Ya will have a need ta use wealth when ya are with da humans in der "civilization," but don't become like dem, or it will destroy ya too." Mutwa explained, the message burning itself into Harry's mind.

Shaking himself as the message was drilled home; Harry nodded to Mutwa with a determined grin. "Ok, so then how much do I need until I can talk to the Goblins that you mentioned."

"Good." Mutwa said with a smile, " I knew I could trust ya ta learn cub," he said as he plucked a diamond the size of a small child's head from the wall. "Dis should be more dan enough to get ya started and get da goblins to take ya seriously." Mutwa continued, "Dis is why da lost tribe gave da secret to my ancestors, because we know da lesson. Dis is why I now pass on da message ta ya because I've taken ya as my cub."

This last statement struck Harry like a thunderbolt. Looking at Mutwa, Harry was stunned to hear that Mutwa was considering Harry as his replacement in the next generation. Mutwa gazed down at Harry with a hard look, that quickly changed to a short warm and proud smirk, to which Harry replied in kind.

"Thanks Mutwa, I really appreciate you teaching me, and trusting me." Harry said, getting as emotional as the emotionally stunted boy could ever do so.

"No problem cub, da GoGo sent ya to me to be da next in da line of protectors. I'll be around for a while longer, but just as is natural; it will one day be my time to join da ancestors." Mutwa said as he rested his hand on Harry's shoulder for a moment. A touching moment that lasted for a brief instance before the two witchdoctors turned and left the cave together.

Stepping through the dark veil and back into the moisture at the bottom of Victoria's Falls, the giant mine's doors slowly shut, not making even a whisper of sound this time as they closed and sealed shut again.

Turning to Harry, Mutwa shouted over the sound of the falls, "It's ya secret now cub, use it if ya need it, but only take what ya need, dat way da GoGo can use it when she needs in da future." Mutwa completed the explanation. "Now come." Mutwa said, reaching his hand out to Harry as Mutwa side along apparated them away to the wizarding part of Cape Town South Africa.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts, Dumbledore was stumbling out of the fire place from his really really horrible, no good, very bad day from hell. Stinking, smeared with brown juices and chunks that colored his robe and beard, singed so that he was missing one eyebrow and a good portion of the left side of his beard and hair, Albus Dumbledore was not the perfect grandfatherly expectation of power that the wizarding world had come to know and trust.

As he stumbled out of the fireplace grumbling under his breath he took a breather for a second, realizing that he should have breathed through his mouth, Albus turned towards the perch of his familiar.

"Fawkes, where is that envelope for Harry Potter that I left in the office earlier today?" Dumbledore asked his familiar, totally oblivious to the fact that his familiar was decidedly molted of feathers and looking not so good. Perhaps if Albus's spectacles hadn't been covered in feces, he would have seen the death glare that Fawkes was giving him at that moment.

"Squaaawk!" Fawkes uttered at Albus in a disgusted tone after the thrown envelope had caused his current state.

"What, what do you mean you lost the envelope?" Albus stated with confusion.

"Squaawk, chirp chrip squaawk!" Fawkes stated, waving his wings up and down with irritation.

"You already took the letter to where Harry was? Why did you do that! This is completely unacceptable. Now I won't be able to find him in time to get him to Hogwarts, and its all your fault Fawkes!" Dumbledore said in a chiding tone, his frustration mistakenly placed on Fawkes's "shoulders" after Albus's very bad day.

This statement was what caused Fawkes to have a momentary lapse in his relationship with Albus Dumbledore. In Fawkes's brain he thought, "Not only does he force me to go deliver a letter, but then he does it right in front of a hunting Nundu! And then he has the nerve to blame me? Squaawk!" With a squawk of an infuriated phoenix, Fawkes leapt from his perch, dive-bombed the tray of Dumbledore's lemon drops off of the desk and into the fire. Continuing his swoop from over the desk, Fawkes rammed into Dumbledore, grabbed a hold of elderly wizard's beard, only to flash the two of them away in an instant.

Immediately appearing again in the office, Fawkes settled down on his perch and stuck his head under his wing for a nice afternoon rest. In the distance a shriek could be heard from the middle of the Hogwarts lake, only to be followed by the sound of a large splash soon thereafter.

At least the impromptu bath would help Dumbledore with the smell problem.

* * *

**AN: Well there is another chapter. I've started writing the next one so we should see that out soon. I wanted to include the part where Harry goes back to the UK, but this felt like the proper stopping spot. Sorry again for the long time between chapters. Honestly, I was really too busy to write this chapter, but all of your reviews merited/guilted me into getting back into writing for you. So please, if you want those chapters, please keep reviewing and helping me think up what I should do next! Thanks.**


	9. Chapter 9: England! Home, Ptttt!

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Well, posted a chapter last night, and this one should be posted the evening after, so I hope people enjoy. I'm going to keep up a regular pace on writing these if I can, but you have to understand that I work a ton, so time is precious and my wife comes first before writing and reading. Sacrilege to some, I know, but that's how "I roll" to use the lingo of my surroundings in California. Thanks for all those who left reviews, the detailed and the short. **

**AN2: A response to some review's I've received (I try and respond individually to every person who leaves a review*). I have to honestly state that the Harry at the beginning of this book greatly disturbed me to write, but I thought it was more fitting based on the state of his upbringing. I've always thought that Tom Riddle's reaction to abuse was more realistic than the JK Harry Potter reaction of "why can't we all just get along?" Not to say that every abused adolescent should become a sociopath, but based on my experience with assisting with psych care and children's homes, abused children often show a disconnect with how "polite society" is supposed to act. I won't say a lot more as I hate standing on soap boxes, but if a child was raised like an animal then I think they would act like an animal until they were taught or experienced otherwise; hence the Harry in this story. When I said "Dark Harry" in the summary of this story, I really meant "Dark" Harry, not grey, not cloudy, but DARK. He will remain decidedly dark until he can be tempered by good experiences, but I never expect him to suddenly become the bastion of the views of the "Light," nor will he ever drift past "grey." Yes he's a hero, but he's more the anti-hero/hero type. Anyway, that's my two cents and on with the story!**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 8: England! Home, Ptttt!**

_When it's three o'clock in New York, it's still 1938 in London._ ~ Bette Midler

The wizarding world was decidedly behind the times when it came to everyday life and a view of the world. This makes sense when you figure out that most wizards live a longer time than muggles/mundane humans. The disparity in beliefs by different age groups is often vast in the Muggle world. Muggles commonly age twenty years and don't understand the latest generation, so it is no surprise that wizards who often live greater than 100 years are very out of date on the social and political niceties of the modern day. So it was that when Mutwa and Harry traveled to the wizarding enclave of Cape Town South Africa in 1991, they entered apartheid conditions, where anybody not Afrikaans or "White" was treated as a second class citizen at best.

The Boers, or Dutch settlers, who had been among the first Europeans to settle the Cape of South Africa believed that God had christened them the rulers over the indigenous peoples of their new home. In a battle that saw nary the loss of a white settler, but allowed them to slaughter thousands of the black indigenous Africans, they believed in a sort of manifest destiny and blessing to rule the land. The wizards who had come with them, some of them who were only second or third generation from the original colonists, still held this belief. Mutwa and Harry were not amused…

Upon apparating into the Goochelkunst, "Magic", District of Cape Town, Harry and Mutwa were immediately spat at and jibed by a passing white father and his son, dressed in white, red and blue robes that seemed to be patterned after the Union Jack flag.

*Pttttt* The father spat at Mutwa, "Go back to the bush you spear chucker! You're not allowed or wanted here!" The man said with an ugly sneer as he launched a globule of snot and spit to splatter on Mutwa's foot.

Mutwa glared down at the shorter and decidedly pudgy bald man. Quickly raising his hand at the elbow and making a thrusting and grabbing gesture, a snaky root burst out of the cobblestone street under the offending man's robes. Just as the wrist thick vine punched the man in the family jewels, Mutwa clenched his fist and yanked his hand down, as if throwing it to the ground. The vine, imitating Mutwa's gesture, ripped through the disgusting bigot's underclothes and took a tight thorny grip around the man's "wee-willy," only to pull said man back into the ground by its thorny grip on the bigot's "man bits."

SPLAT! The bigot was thrust hard into the solid cobblestone street, anchored to the ground by the thorns purchase on his "bait and tackle." Only the sound of a groan could be heard from the bigot as it appeared that his nose had been broken during the stunning blow.

"Hey! You can't do that Jou bliksem!" The son yelled, pulling out his wand to curse Mutwa and Harry. Twisting his wand the son yelled, "Crusiiiiii-eeeeeeeeeeEEEEEE!"

What Harry recognized as the torture curse was interrupted as Harry glared at the boy and a bolt of lightning flashed out of the clear blue sky, hitting the boy in the ass and flinging him over the heads of Mutwa and Harry… only to impact the wall behind the apparation point with a decidedly dull thud and a release of brown and yellow bodily fluids. The boy hit the ground and twitched from the electrical discharge that was slowly dissipating from his body. He would probably live, but lightning burns from the inside out, so he would have a reminder of the lesson that Harry taught him.

Grimly looking at the two bigots, Mutwa turned to Harry and stated, "Do not become like dem cub. Remember da lesson about da species, ya learned with the monkeys, learn from dis also." Harry nodded back with a mirrored grim look.

Stepping over the figures on the ground, Mutwa and Harry walked out into the crowd that wandered the alley. The Goochelkunst District had a smattering of different feels to it, just as South Africa and Cape Town had been a melting pot of colonizing powers. Tea shops and robe shops, apothecaries, broom and magic carpet shops were all crammed together with meat pie stands and sausage and chilled wine merchants,tastes of India were mixed throughout the common European fare. A shop of Magical animals saw Harry giving it a glare as he passed, seeing all of the animals in their cages, and the apothecary filled with slaughtered animal bits would have burned down if Harry's look could have killed. The people of the street were a mix, some in bush gear, some with animal skins as the few black African's walked the streets, and yet other individuals traipsed about in more "refined" robes as proper colonial foreign nationals were oft to do.

Walking past all of this, Harry and Mutwa prowled towards the branch of Gringotts at the end of the block, Mutwa making small passing comments to Harry.

"First boy, we will need ta get ya some money and den an outfit. Ya loincloth won't do for ya in Britian, ya will need to blend in. Remember, da path of the hunter is to stalk his prey, and ya would stand out like an elephant in da room if ya didn't change ya look." Mutwa explained.

"Alright Mutwa, I've never really done any shopping before as my _relatives_ didn't think I needed anything like that, so you will have to show me what to do. As for money, what do they use here?" Harry questioned.

"It is da Galleon, da Sickle and da Knut. Der are 17 Sickles in a Galleon, 29 Knuts in a Sickle, or 493 Knuts in a Galleon. Da wizards don't make much logical sense, but ya will get used to it." Mutwa explained with a smirk, Harry chuckled along with him in agreement as a women walked by with a stuffed vulture on her head.

"Listen closely cub," Mutwa said, pulling the conversation back to their original goal of proceeding to Gringotts, "Da goblins are not human, so don't treat dem like humans. Dey know honor, but some of dem are also thieves, only trust dem as much as you can make dem. Dey honor the warrior spirit, and if dey threaten you, stick up for ya self, but also don't insult dem without reason. Ya hear me cub?" Mutwa said, focusing ahead as they reached the steps of the bank. Harry silently nodded in agreement.

The cobbles of the street seemed to meet giant quartz blocks that had been hardened by magic and formed the peach colored goblin bank. The building was etched with volcanic rock, native to the area, and seemed to almost emerge out of the cobblestones of the magic district. Entering through the doors, the two ignored the warning to thieves above the threshold and proceeded between the two goblin guards at the door. The two witchdoctors prowled into the building, the goblin guard's twitching as the gait of the two "wizards" screamed predator to their goblin instincts. Mutwa and Harry proceeded across the hard stone tiled floor and across the large, yet not huge, entry chamber of the bank.

Proceeding towards a teller's booth who was weighing gems and examining them under a jeweler's glass while at the same time polishing gold bars with jewelers rouge. Harry let Mutwa do the talking and decided to learn from example.

"Goblin, we need yer services." Mutwa said politely in his deep bass voice.

"Go away wizard! Can't ya see I'm busy?" The goblin said without actually looking up from his work, "Go to one of the other tellers and I'm sure they can get you to your vault."

Undaunted by the goblin's rude nature, Mutwa merely lifted the huge uncut diamond out of his belt pouch and dropped it on one of the sides of the scale the goblin was using, causing the other side to shoot into the air; spilling gems, weights and galleons across the goblin's desk.

Sputtering, the goblin turned to look up at Mutwa and curse him out, only to be caught speechless by the sight of the giant diamond sitting on his gem scale.

"Ahem, perhaps I was a bit hasty. What are you trying to do with this gem?" The goblin said, greed clearly shining through his eyes as he examined probably the largest diamond he had ever seen.

Mutwa clearly stated, unfazed by the goblin's actions or demeanor, "We wish to sell it for galleons so da boy can make some purchases."

"I'm sure we can give you a few galleons for this small gem," The goblin stated with a closed mouth smile, clearly seeing Mutwa and Harry as some back-country bumpkins who he could cheat

Harry and Mutwa smiled back at the Goblin, but with full sharp teeth clearly gleaming from their faces. Harry gleamed his Cheshire cat smile that threatened to touch his ears. It was then that the Goblin knew that he could be in very big trouble.

"You wouldn't be trying to cheat us would you?" Harry asked with a very polite voice that didn't meet his eyes or show in his smile.

"Ya don't know who I am or what I can do Goblin." Mutwa stated, a predatory gleam shining through his look, "I come to ya with honorable intent, how do you choose to answer?" Mutwa said, as the fingernails on his hands by his side started to lengthen and grow sharp. The eyes of the goblin guards in the room swung to focus on Harry and Mutwa, they shifted their halberds and spears and questioned whether it was worth it to get involved or let the Goblin who had obviously insulted the two men be torn apart. Instincts about the two warred with their job as they deliberated in their minds what to do.

The choice of interfering or not was taken out of their hands when the goblin raised both of his hand in defeat with a decided "gulp" and an apology, "No, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know who you were. Please forgive me as I'm so used to dealing with those bigots who normally come in here and demand my attention no matter what I am trying to do." The goblin stated, head hunching down, shoulders slouched and eyes averted as one predator would do to another larger predator or alpha of a pack. The goblins were instinctual beings, leading a warlike and hierarchical society that had greater semblance to an extended pack than to human societies. The Goblin bank teller realized that these were not your every day wizards that were before him, but were decidedly predatory beings that were higher on the food chain than he was. The Goblin thought to himself, sure the guards may get to his desk to fight the two beings, but he would most likely be food by then. After all, all goblins knew that the vanquished were eaten, it was only the stupid wizards and humans that wasted a good kill.

"Good" Mutwa clearly said, immediately seeming to melt back into a purely human form without any distinctive characteristics. The smiles melted off of both Harry and Mutwa's faces as they stonily faced the goblin.

With a slight sigh of relief, the Goblin teller immediately began to add weights to the other side of the scale, efficiently going about the business of appraising the uncut stone. The goblin guards around the room relaxed and returned their scanning about the room as the tension at the teller's booth eased substantially.

The Goblin teller marked down a few calculations, and then looked up at the two men before him. "Gentlemen, and I only say that because I don't know how to refer to you," the Goblin stated, "As the chief jewel appraiser for Gringotts South Africa and the magical company of De Beers, I am ready to offer you 40,000,000 Galleons or 200,000,000 pounds. Please understand, I am not trying to cheat you, the largest diamond to date is valued at slightly more than what I am offering and we need to make some sort of a profit. Do we have a deal?" The goblin questioned honestly.

Mutwa and Harry looked at each other for a second. Mutwa's left eyebrow raised slightly, and Harry twitched his head to the left ever so briefly, and then Harry nudged his head as if he was referencing leaving through the door of the bank. Mutwa silently nodded and turned back to the goblin.

"For forty million Galleons, a tailor, and a portkey to Gringotts Great Britian, then yes." Mutwa said with a stone still face, not twitching a muscle as to give away any of his inner thoughts. Harry in turn focused back on the Goblin teller.

"Hem, you do understand that international portkeys are supposed to be controlled by the ministry and could be illegal, correct?" the Goblin hedged in reply.

Mutwa merely smiled without showing any teeth.

"Excellent!" The Goblin teller exclaimed, "Profit and I get to poke those bigoted wizards in the eye! A wonderful day! The tailor will be called and will meet you in the private room that I will guide you too." The Goblin explained while reaching under his desk where a purse held the correct amount of Galleons, magically shrunk so that it could actually be carried. "Here is your money, and let me guide you to where the tailor is waiting." The Goblin teller stated, handing the pouch across the counter to where Harry grabbed it, then leading the two men behind his booth and back to a private meeting room where a tailor had already set up his mirror, clothe samples, and equipment. "After you have finished getting your clothing made, you can see me at the booth for your portkey which will take you to our British brethren in London." The Goblin explained, and then left Harry and Mutwa in the care of the tailor.

* * *

The tailoring went quickly. Wanting to blend in with the upper echelons of power in Great Britain, yet not stand out too much from the every day crowd, Mutwa and the tailor guided Harry to dress in functional but well made clothing; though the tailor did have a rather more "flamboyant" view of the clothing than Mutwa or Harry did. Charcoal grey dragon-hide pants, harvested from deceased dragons in the catacombs of Gringotts, were topped by a black acromantula silk shirt and a long flowing black cape of the same material, all without any sort of adornment. The outfit was finished off by a simple belt and boots made of the same dragon-hide material, but dyed black by the tailor. Harry's already short haircut, given to him by Scorpius Black, made Harry appear to be just another young Caucasian wizard; all be it one with a bit of money to his name and a musculature that showed none of the baby fat that a wizard his actual age would show. Little did Harry know, but he cut the perfect picture of what the "Famous Boy-Who-Lived" was supposed to look like as portrayed in all of the "adventure" books that were circulating around the wizarding world. Sun bronzed, buffed, with flashing hard green eyes, his human aspects appeared to be the dream for every subscriber to witch-weekly.

"How do I look?" Harry questioned Mutwa as he turned this way and that to look at his reflection in the mirror.

"Like a wizard." Mutwa said in his deep voice with a small smile.

Growling slightly and frowning at Mutwa, Harry turned around to face his mentor, seeing the small smile on the witchdoctor's face and knowing that Mutwa was teasing him in that slight way of his.

"Well, that should do it, the bill is 500 galleons for the whole ensemble." The tailor said with a little bounce and an emphasis on the "s" sounds in his statement. Harry paid the man and then focused back on Mutwa.

Mutwa nudged his head in the direction of the door, and Harry followed his mentor out the door and back to the entry of the bank and the Goblin Teller's booth.

Taking the portkey from the Goblin, who handed Harry a piece of paper with the activation word on it, Harry focused on his mentor to see if he had any parting words.

Looking down at Harry from his great height, Mutwa didn't leave Harry waiting, "Ya have done well cub, ya have grown up and now are ready to start da journey dat da GoGo has set for ya. Ya are no longer a cub, ya are a full member of da pack now, and it is time for ya to go out and start ya own pack, lead ya own life, guide ya own pack members." Mutwa explained. A breeze seemed to blow through the doors of the bank, issuing in the smells of the veldt and the dry hot breeze of the grasses of the savannas. Mutwa's head bent to the side, and Harry thought he almost heard a voice issuing in on the wind.

"Dat was da GoGo Harry. She said for me to do something for ya. Give me ya hand in greeting." Mutwa explained.

With that, Harry and Mutwa grasped forearms as if performing a handshake from olden days. Yet as they gripped each other's arms, Mutwa did something with his nails and Harry felt a stab, and then a searing sensation as a brief sharp pain transferred to his forearm. Harry was briefly covered in an aura of white light, which then absorbed into him and disappeared. Releasing their clasped hands, Harry turned over his right arm and saw on his forearm the symbol of a cat's paw, marked in black with claw marks that seemed to be drawing blood but were in fact some sort of tattoo or brand, fully healed.

Looking up at Mutwa in a bit of shock, Harry asked, "What is this?"

To which Mutwa replied with a smile, "It's ya emancipation Harry. Ya are now an adult in the eyes of da GoGo, and as Magic is part of da GoGo, da magical world will see ya as an adult. Take care, because ya will be treated as an adult, both da good and da bad." Mutwa said, smiling proudly down at his apprentice. "Ya know what ya need to know ta be da witchdoctor, ya know da knowledge. It will just take time for ya ta come into ya full power and experience to teach ya how to fully commune with da GoGo." The witchdoctor explained. "Now it is time for ya to go Harry, good luck, and may da GoGo bless ya." Mutwa said, as he took a step back from Harry.

Harry was strangely choked up at Mutwa's statement. He couldn't really remember what it felt like to hug or want to hug another being, let alone have some positive physical connection, but for some strange reason he felt like he wanted to hug Mutwa for his blessing and for all his training. But still, he didn't know what to do, he hadn't learned that lesson yet and it didn't seem like Mutwa was to be the guide for that side of his life as Harry had to go. Looking up at Mutwa, the man that had originally literally scared Harry out of a tree, the man who had trained him ruthlessly and shoved so much knowledge into Harry's head that he was physically hurting most of the time, but also the Man who had shared some sort of caring for Harry and had treated him as an equal. It was a lesson to ponder on for now, Harry thought.

Looking up at Mutwa, Harry gave him a simple, "Thank you Mutwa, for everything."

With that, Harry took a step back from Mutwa, and uttered the activation word for the portkey, "Begin."

Harry Potter disappeared in a swirl; he was on his way to the beginning of the next stage of his life.

* * *

Goblins are a voracious species, devouring the spoils of war, devouring their enemies, and devouring the economy in the pursuit of the profits they could acquire; whether through business or guile. A military society, the Goblins were ranked and given jobs based on their power, whether that be political, military, or monetary. The treaties with the wizards irked them. They had been defeated by the wizards in the last war, and just like the house elves (if to a lesser extent) were made to be subservient to the wizards in many ways. This subservience was like hot pokers shoved under the cuticles of their claws, as the goblins were all about dominance, and hated being locked into the position that they were. Thus it was that the goblins stole from the wizards as much as they could. Yes the Goblins left the money in the wizard's vault, but wherever they could, they made sure to tax or levy a hell of a lot of fees on the wizards so that they could get their comeuppance some way or another. Management of the banks was often handled by the most powerful Clans of the goblins, those that could outfight and devour the other goblins, thus giving the controlling Clan the best chance of directly levying fines against Wizards and "sticking it to the Man" in the only real method available.

The average wizard didn't really have an idea of how the goblins worked and figured that the fines, fees, and surcharges were just a normal way of doing business. However some goblins took an even a more direct approach in their quest for greed and decided to actual embezzle money from their client accounts; especially the accounts that didn't have an "active" approach to monitoring what the balance was. Such was the inevitable showdown between the newly emancipated Harry Potter, known Heir to the House of Potter and of the line of the House of Black, and Gutwrot, the current Goblin administrator to Harry's account and a "friend" of self appointed Magical Guardian Albus Dumbledore.

As Harry Potter spun into the foyer of the Gringotts London Branch, he didn't understand the fine balance of power that existed among the London goblin Clans. The Firewater Clan, ruled by director Ragnok was in a constant struggle for absolute control of the bank branch with the Blackrock Clan, currently run by Gutwrot. Whereas Ragnok was in control of most of the older accounts and was of greater military might and strength than Gutwrot, the machinations of Albus Dumbledore, and surprisingly Lucius Malfoy, had put Gutwrot in control of the Potter, Black, and Malfoy fortunes; thus creating a tie in the balance of power within the bank as Gutwrot held control of the most lucrative accounts in the wizarding world.

Spinning to land on the balls of his feet, Harry's portkey disguised his "illegal" international arrival by landing him in the Bank's floo entrance. Exiting the fireplace, Harry pulled up the hood of his black silk cloak and proceeded to an open bank teller.

"I'd like to speak to the holder of my accounts please." Harry said, remembering Mutwa's lesson on dealing with Goblins, don't treat them like Humans, don't back down, and don't insult them if you don't have to.

"Hmmmph," the goblin said, "Do you have your key?" The short figure asked, peering down from the Goblin's stool.

"No," Harry replied, "Is that a problem?" He asked, keeping patient.

"Bloody wizards," the goblin mumbled in a voice that would have been unheard except for Harry's extreme hearing "Give me your hand human and we will see if we have any accounts for you and who will be managing them." Picking up a small dagger the goblin gestured for Harry's hand, who following directions, extended his hand palm up.

Making a small cut on the tip of Harry's finger, which the goblin noted healed quicker than the healing spells on the knife were supposed to do so, the goblin wiped a bit of the blood on a stone on his desk and then read the piece of paper that popped into view before the diminutive creature.

The goblin's eyes went large for a moment, and then its complexion went grayish black as the goblin's face flushed with the black blood that the goblins carried in their veins. Mumbling an excuse, the goblin quickly hurried to a guard behind the booth and got into an argument that started to take on some degree of urgency and volume; all spoken in Gobbledegook. Several tellers around the guard and the Goblin who had been helping Harry looked stunned by the conversation, and one teller ran off into the bowels of the bank while the arguing goblin teller's back was turned.

Waving for Harry to follow, the Goblin guard issued Harry to follow him into the labyrinth of office halls that spanned the upper floors of the Goblin bank. Walking through the stone and metal hallways, Harry was finally lead to a pair of giant black stone doors, with knobbed black-rock handles that jutted from the door. Two goblin guards in black armor opened the door and Harry walked in to the surprisingly messy office.

Piles of parchment lay everywhere, completely dwarfing Harry let alone a goblin. Strewn piles of collapsed documents, thrown about scrolls, stacks of documents and books literally hid the walls of the office that may have been opulent at one time but now was more reminiscent of a pigsty playing the part of an accountant's office. Half eaten and rotted food sat on plates which took up their places on chairs, and behind the desk was a sleeping goblin wearing a black business suit stained by food juices; the shoulder of the sleeping goblin looked to be connected to his open mouth by a long streamer of drool as the goblin slept fitfully. One of the guards walked over behind the desk and then whispered in the sleeping goblin's ear, startling the sleeping figure awake.

"What! What? I thought I said I wasn't to be disturbed unless a senior client came in?" The goblin groused to the guard.

"You did Clan-chief, but a senior client has come in." The guard stated, pointing his hand across the messy office and towards the cloak covered figure of Harry.

"Oh, right then, well what do you want wizard?" The goblin stated.

Harry, trying to stay polite in front of such hostility answered, "I am Harry Potter, and I would like to get the full balances of my accounts and talk to the manager of my holdings." With that said, Harry removed his hood, showing his signature black hair and somewhat faded but still distinct lightning-bolt scar.

Gutwrot was agog, he was stunned, Dumbledore had promised him that he would have complete control of the Potter accounts and that the Potter heir would not have knowledge of any vault besides his trust account. Yet here was the Potter boy asking to see his full account balance, a request that had to be honored according to the treaties. Sweating a bit, Gutwrot answered, "I am Gutwrot, leader of the Blackrock Clan and the manager of your holdings. As for your account, Boy, you are not allowed to see them due to the fact that you are a minor! Get your magical guardian to request a balance if you want one." The goblin said nastily, hoping to intimidate Harry and waving him to leave his office.

"Oh, is that how it is going to be," Harry thought to himself. Not put off in the least bit, Harry took a step further into the office, gliding a bit closer and giving the two guards a bit of a hint that something was not normal about this wizarding child.

"I am trying to be polite, but I am not a minor and if you are my manager than I want to know my account balance." Harry said, turning over arm and baring his forearm so that Gutwrot and the two guards could see the mark of GoGo on his arm and that he was magically emancipated.

Absolutely stunned, Gutwrot tried to bluff and stutter his way out of trouble, if the Potter boy saw the balances of the Potter accounts then he would know that Gutwrot had been subsidizing the Blackrock Clan's treasury with stolen money. "Now see here boy, I don't really care if you are the Potter heir, Albus Dumbledore gave me control of your accounts and told me that I had complete control of your accounts, and there is nothing you can do about it! Guards take this child out of here!" Gutwrot stated, signaling the two guards to bracket Harry and start in towards him.

Harry was pissed off at his treatment by the Goblin, but the real steamer was when Gutwrot mentioned Albus Dumbledore and another manipulation by the old man who had sentenced him to hell that was the Dursleys house. If nothing else, that one statement sealed Gutwrot's fate as food.

The only warning that the goblins had that Harry was not going to leave peacefully was when Harry's green eyes seemed to flash and turn into cat slits, however this didn't help the guards as he was staring at Gutwrot. As the two guards approached Harry's sides, His hands whipped out spearing straight into the throats of the guards to Harry's right and left, and then almost quicker than the eye could see returning to his sides. The only sign that Harry had done anything was that both guards stopped, gurgled, and then collapsed to the floor, black blood pouring onto the scrolls and papers littering Gutwrot's floor. Before Harry could leap over the table at Gutwrot, the doors to the office blasted open.

BOOM! The two black doors flew open and a troop of goblins marched-in in full armor. "Halt! What is going on here?" The lead goblin demanded, wearing a tiny blood and burgundy red suit. Seeing the two dying goblins and the irate young man and startled goblin he turned to focus on Gutwrot.

Gutwrot answered, "This boy came into my office threatened me and killed my guards!" He said with a snarl.

"Liar!" Harry snarled, starting to walk forward but stopping as the goblin guards clenched their weapons tighter. Taking a deep breath he focused on the new Goblin who was wearing the red suit, "This waste of life is a liar! I am Harry Potter and I simply asked for my full account balances when he insulted me and put his guards after me to throw me out. On top of that, if what he told me is true, and if what my parents spirits told me is true, then this piece of shite is a thief!"

This stunned the new goblins. As creatures of honor, lies and insults were taken very seriously, not to mention thievery; well, getting caught as a thief was serious, not necessarily being a thief.

Gutwrot started to complain but was immediately silenced by a wave of the red clad goblin's hand. "Mr. Potter, this is a very serious complaint. As the Director of Gringotts, I, Director Ragnok, Clan Chief of the Firewater Clan asks if you are challenging Gutwrot's statement as a lie and his ability to manage your accounts?"

"You bloody better believe I mean it, this liar has no purpose being my bank manager!" Harry growled in answer to Ragnok, his eyes glowing an eerie green.

Ragnok looked grim, he understood the deeper ramifications of this situation. Turning to Gutwrot he stated, "The challenge has been cast, how do you answer and how will it be considered?"

Gutwrot's eyes gleamed, here was an opportunity that he couldn't pass up. He knew that since Harry had challenged him under goblin law that the loser would be devoured by the winner, that meant that any of Harry's wealth would immediately be Gutwrot's if/when he beat the child. "The actions against the guards must have been a fluke," Gutwrot thought to himself, "no wizarding child could stand up to a battle tested Goblin warrior." A smirk growing on his face for all to see.

"I accept the challenge, and the contest shall be in physical combat to the death!" Gutwrot stated, getting the chance to gut a wizard was every goblin's dream; yet seldom were they given the chance.

"You heard the goblin, the challenge has been made and accepted." Ragnok stated, fearing what would happen if the Blackrock Clan gained all of the wealth from the Potter accounts, "Harry, this will be a physical battle only, you may use any weapons you have, but no casting magic will be allowed, is that understood?" Harry glared at the goblins and nodded. The guards with Ragnok parted down the hallway out of the office, and Harry Gutwrot and Ragnok were escorted down to the challenge grounds in the deepest parts of the goblin caverns.

* * *

The challenge grounds cavern was high domed with natural rock formations jutting from the ceiling and a sandy battle field in the middle. The entire place was made of mud-brown stone and particle, with stone stands lining each wall. Seating was divided by Clan with the Firewater Clan on one side and the Blackrock Clan on the opposite wall, the sandy fighting grounds stretched a good two hundred square feet between the two stands. Both of the wall of stands were full of thousands of goblins from the rival Clans jeering at the other stands. The whole place was lit by giant flaming vats of pitch that heated the room to a sweat inducing temperature and issued up a black smoke that seemed to be absorbed by the stone of the ceiling, not obstructing the view of the spectators.

The rumor of the battle must have spread quickly because the sight of the full stands and the read battle grounds are that greeted Harry as he and the goblins from Gutwrot's office reached the challenge grounds . Upon entering the chamber both sides of the stands went quiet, only for the Blackrock Clan stands to erupt in cheering and an audible groan was heard from the Firewater Clan. All of the goblins eyes were focused on the two challengers, and there wasn't a single goblin in either stands that thought Harry had a chance against Clan Chief Gutwrot.

Gutwrot immediately began to strut about and riled his Clan to make greater noise in the light of his future "victory." He marched over to his Clan and was immediately helped to divest his clothes and put on his armor.

Harry in turn walked over toward the base of the Firewater Clan and to Ragnok's seat, where he simply removed his boots and his black cloak; leaving him barefoot and clad in a black silk shirt and dragon hide pants. "Here, would you mind watching this for me while I deal with the thief?" Harry asked Ragnok politely, causing Ragnok to silently take the cloak with wide eyes. Looking at Harry, he could see that the human child was muscular, but since he had no weapons on hand, nor armor, there really was no hope for the boy. At least the cloak was nice and Ragnok thought he might be able to get some money for it after the battle. He also made a mental note that they would have to keep the death of the "Boy-Who-Lived" a secret from the wizarding world; but since the wizarding world never really knew where Dumbledore had stashed the lad, then there shouldn't really be a problem.

Walking out onto the sand, Harry shook out his limbs and cracked his neck to the left, and then the right, and waited for Gutwrot to stop grand-standing.

Turning to face Harry, Gutwrot wore the armor of the Blackrock Clan Chiefs. Made from magical Ebony, the obsidian colored metal after which the muggles had named the black wood, the armor seemed to swallow the light. Gutwrot also went barefoot, yet wore greaves that covered the tops of his feet, a breastplate, helmet, and shoulder pads, leaving both arms free to wield his Goblin silver battle-axe and his clawed toes poking out from under his greaves.

Sauntering towards Harry, Gutwrot taunted, loud enough for the goblins in the stands to hear, "You might as well stand there boy, you can't hurt me with this armor on, you can't use your your wizard magic in here as all non-Gringotts magic is blocked at this moment, and I have the only weapons here. " The goblin said with an evil smile, "I'll make it fast, and start the dining, would hate to leave all of that lovely gold sitting around for much longer!" Gutwrot cackled menacingly as he walked up towards the unmoving boy.

Rearing back over his shoulder, Gutwrot figured he would take advantage of the unmoving target, and then whipped his axe around his body; attempting to bisect Harry at the middle… Only to completely miss and spin in a circle from the missed blow.

Stumbling back a step at the weight of the blow that missed, Gutwrot was struck by the silence as he turned around to look at Harry.

There Harry was, bent at the knees but otherwise completely parallel to the ground, his toes somehow digging into the floor of the battle ground. Then, as if hinging like a trap door opening into a room, Harry stood straight up at the knees and smiled a toothy grin at Gutwrot. "That all you got?" Harry jibed.

Infuriated, Gutwrot swung at Harry! Then swung again! Over and over, first from the left, and then from the right, then for Harry's leg's, then for Harry's middle, then trying to cut him in half from his head to his groin Gutwrot took the axe in a huge overhand swing and tried to bisect Harry.

Slithering out of the way like a snake, Harry dodged, and dodged, Jumped only as high as he needed to, only to land and then slither his middle section out of the way of the blow as if he had no ribcage and gravity had no effect on him. Then to add insult to injury, Harry merely stepped back to avoid Gutwrot's blow that attempted to cleave him in two, palm slapping Gutwrot on the forehead as the Goblin again missed and ended up burying the blade of his axe in the floor of the arena.

The slap held surprising strength that knocked Gutwrot's head back and caused him to stumble a couple feet backwards, leaving the axe still imbedded in the floor. Shaking his head to clear the imaginary hippogriffs that seemed to be circling in his vision, he looked up just in time for Harry to tell him, "My Turn." Before seeing Harry pull back his fist and swing it in a haymaker towards Gutwrot's face.

POOOOWWW!

Harry's blow picked Gutwrot clear up off his feet and sent him flying for a good fifty feet before he landed and rolled and skipped across the ground all the way back to the Blackrock stands. The blow had been so hard that the magical bindings on the ebony armor had literally disintegrated, blasted apart by the force Harry put into the single punch. Fortunately for Gutwrot, the armor had mostly stayed with his body and had taken most of the blow as the force of the blow to the back-plate had creased the magically strengthened goblin armor where it had impacted against the stands and squashed an unlucky Blackrock goblin.

Now it was the Firewater Clan who was screaming for blood and the Blackrocks who were crying foul. Pushing the mangled helmet off and clearing the remnants of the ancient armor, Gutwrot shook his head to clear the fuzz between his ears and attempted to focus on the other side of the battle field where the black blurry shape that was Harry Potter began to come back into focus.

Harry was methodically unbuttoning his shirt, as he really didn't want to damage it in what was about to happen. Turning to face a sharp toothed smiling Ragnok, Harry asked, "Would you mind holding this also, I'll be back in a moment." Only to receive a giant grin in return from Ragnok who saw the luck of his Clan turning with the tide of the battle. Turning from Ragnok, bare-chested and absolutely chiseled with muscle, Harry Potter started to slowly prowl across the sandy field towards Gutwrot.

"What? What are you?" Gutwrot stuttered out while Harry was still more than halfway across the field; all the time attempting to get legs to stop shaking and his ears to stop ringing.

"Witchdoctor." Was the only reply Harry said, loud enough for everybody to hear and giving Gutwrot only time enough for his eyes to get big before Harry seemed to disappear from where he had stood.

Now, it was Harry's turn, and he was about to begin his journey of revenge on all those who had manipulated or taken advantage of him. All that was unnatural and did not belong fit into his category of what needed to be destroyed, and those who harmed him were foremost on that list.

Disappearing from the middle of the field, Harry traveled the distance to Gutwrot faster than the eye could follow, grabbed Gutwrot by the throat, pulled him up into the air and over his shoulder, and then one handed body-slammed Gutwrot into the ground behind him so that Gutwrot's flailing limbs and torso bounced fifteen feet back into the air.

*Thump!*" AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" were the sounds that Gutwrot made as his breath was forced out of his body and no doubt several ribs were broken by the pounding and the subsequent launching into the air.

Harry hadn't been taught any real fighting style besides the instinctual style of the giant cat, but he did remember peaking out of his locked cupboard and watching his cousin Dudley playing a fighting game about a tournament of some sort.

Leaping up into the air at great speed, fist leading, Harry impacted his fist with the now falling chin of Gutwrot, launching said goblin head first into the ceiling some three hundred feet above the cavern floor.

Landing back on the balls of his feet and stopping to stand up straight, the entire audience was silenced in awe as they watched the trajectory of Gutwrot's body. A sympathetic "OOOOOHHHHFFFF" was heard from the crowd as Gutwrot first impacted with the hard stone roof, and then plummet to the ground where he stopped with a shuddering *Thump* and didn't move.

Harry, looked up at the silent Blackrocks, and then over at Ragnok, who simply said, "Finish it." Walking towards the goblin laying in the middle of the arena Harry could see the eyes moving widely, the mouth moving, but Gutwrot was apparently paralyzed from a broken neck and couldn't get the air to speak.

"This could have been done differently," Harry stated as he walked towards the downed goblin, "You could have helped me and I would have helped you and your people, but no, you had to go and lie to me. You had to go and steal from me! But most of all, YOU HAD TO GO AND WORK FOR ALBUS DUMBLEDORE AGAINST ME!" Harry yelled out in rage at the end.

Reaching down to the paralyzed Goblin, he grabbed Gutwrot by the throat and brought him up to his face. "There are only two types in this world, predators, and prey, and you are prey." Harry said, emphasizing his statement by placing his hand on the top of Gutwrot's head, digging in his claws, and pulling Gutwrot's head off of his body; spraying black blood into the air and over Harry's arm and torso.

The goblins in the audience were stunned by Harry's final actions, until suddenly the Firewater Clan started to hoot and yell and cheer Harry on. Only for Harry to hear the Blackrock's cry out from behind him "Cheater!" and "Foul!" as they poured out of the stands with daggers and axes, charging onto the field in an attempt to avenge their Clan head.

"Oh no you don't!" Harry stated as he whipped around and embraced the spirit of the Nundu, transforming into an adult sized Nundu the size of a house. Harry briefly noted the difference in size than he used to be and realized that the blessing and emancipation from Mutwa and the GoGo must have had some blessings attached to it.

The cries for revenge by the Blackrock Clan turned into screams of terror and agony as Harry in his Nundu form was suddenly in their midst.

Harry's jaws would bite between two to four goblins in half in a single chomp, claws the size of scythes split goblin bodies, decapitated or de-limbed the masses of Blackrocks like at atomic bomb in a feedlot; absolutely destroying everything in its path and turning the previously raging goblins into a smear of black blood that coated everything in the room. The shear speed, there was no animal in the world, magical or mundane, that could keep up with the speed of a raging Nundu.

Ragnok, who was about to cry out to stop the disgraceful actions of the Blackrock Clan, was absolutely stunned to silence by Harry's transformation and destruction of the rival goblin Clan. Fast calling his wits back to himself, He clapped his hands and mentally called upon the great wards of Gringotts to seal off the bloodshed from reaching him and the Firewater Clan. There was nothing he could do to save the Blackrocks as Ragnok watched stunned as the goblin created steel and blades were lucky enough to barely break the Nundu's skin, most often simply bouncing off the hardened hide that was stronger than anything he had seen before. The normal method of battle for the goblins was to hack and slash with numbers, reflecting any spells or diverting them with their magical weapons until they could get in amongst the wizards or enemies and slash them to bits. Sure the goblins had their own magic, they were great curse breakers and warders, but most of their magic was focused around tempering the earth, tools, or breaking into tombs; with the occasional curse or destructive spell on the side. But nothing could stop a Nundu the size of Harry! Harry was an absolute killing machine as he simply devoured the goblin Clan, it was like a saber-toothed tiger let loose in a room full of little white lab mice, the goblins had no where they could flee to and Harry was simply too fast and powerful to stop.

Finishing off the last of the Blackrock Clan, absolutely covered in black blood, Harry leapt towards Ragnok and the remaining goblin tribe, only to bounce off the ward that Ragnok had raised.

"Please Mr. Potter, be reasonable." Ragnok pleaded, something that nobody had seen happen between a goblin and a wizard in over a thousand years.

Harry's reply was to throw himself again at the ward wall. And then again, and again! The pounding on the ward wall shook the cavern walls and the ceiling that the ward had anchored itself to.

"Please! We weren't part of it! They were a separate Clan and we will respect your accounts and always treat you honestly!" Ragnok pleaded, as Harry swiped at the wall between him and the fearful goblin Clan, shaking the room with the power of his blows.

Harry took a step back and lowered back his ears, his baleful green eyes glowing as he HISSSSSSSSED in rage at what the goblins had put him through.

Slowly, pacing in a circle, while still looking at the goblins trapped behind the wall, Harry finally slowed down and then curled into a laying down position as if he didn't have a care in the world; an action that most cats find inherently easy to assume. Suddenly, without any real cause or reason, the image of the Nundu wavered and slowly shrank back into that of the young Mr. Potter.

Harry was seated on the ground, now clean of any blood but sitting on an absolutely mangled battlefield of blood and gore. Harry glared at Ragnok, and then he sighed, "So what now Ragnok, are we to be enemies?" Harry questioned.

Ragnok gulped, but didn't look away from Harry. One of the primary rules of nature is that you don't show predator's fear, they will only eat you for it. "No Harry," Ragnok answered, "We are not enemies. If anything, you have done me and my Clan a great service. You have won the challenge and it was only the deceit of the defeated that led to both Gutwrot's death and the eventual destruction of his Clan." Ragnok continued, becoming more settled now that Harry was sitting and didn't look like he was going to wipe out all of Goblin-kind.

"Ok, then we don't have a problem Ragnok." Harry said. "So now what?"

"Now, to the victor goes the spoils I guess. You get the possessions of all of the goblins you defeated. Normally you would get to eat them, but seeing as you've already done that…" Ragnok trailed off, pointing out over the field that appeared to be painted black. "And your claim to emancipation is acknowledged, you will be granted full access to your accounts, and when we go upstairs you can assume the lordship of House Potter and any other assets or positions you might have received. You will just need to pick a new account manager from the goblins alive, or decide if you want to remove your assets to another institute if you don't trust us." Ragnok continued, the last statement coming out with some dread as the loss of the Potter accounts would substantially injure the Gringotts London branch.

"Fine," Harry answered, standing up and walking towards Ragnok "We have a deal. You did an honest job of keeping my shirt, cloak and boots protected while I fought, so that's good enough for me to choose you as my account manager." Harry said with a shrug, coming up before Ragnok and waiting for the ward to fall.

Smiling a toothy smile, Ragnok was thrilled that the Potter fortunes would be kept in Gringotts and that it looked like he and his Clan would survive the earlier mistake of his cousin's Clan. "Excellent Mr. Potter!" Ragnok said as he clapped his hands to drop the ward. There was a second of edginess as the goblins around Ragnok waited to see if Harry would attack, but he showed them that he was a creature of his word and of honor and didn't do anything but reach for his shirt and boots.

The Firewater Clan quickly left the arena, some of them stopping to grab a leg, head, or an arm from a deceased goblin to munch on as they left; waste not want not the rule of nature went.

Ragnok stood silently while Harry clothed himself. Harry made himself presentable by buttoning up his shirt and boots, and flicked the gore out from under his nails. Then, using one of his clawed fingernails to pick a bit of gristle out from between his back jaws, Harry gave Ragnok a big smile as Ragnok had taken the moment to grab a bit of severed goblin flesh off of the top of Harry's shoe and eat it.

"This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship Mr. Potter." Ragnok explained as the two of them headed for the exit of the cavern. "Not only do you give me complete control of the Gringotts London branch, but you also throw a feast for me and my kin!" He said with a high pitched goblin laugh, something that would make the average wizard cringe and run screaming.

Harry's smile and added laughter at the comment would also have caused the most fearless of men to wet them self, as his almost hyena type laugh echoed off the walls.

As the two left the challenge grounds, goblin and witchdoctor walking side by side, the battle grounds was left in silence. Covered in black blood, but mostly picked clean of edible body parts, the arena was plunged into darkness. As Ragnok and Harry Potter exited the room the burning fires extinguished themselves automatically, turning the room into the sterile darkness of a cave.

* * *

**AN: Well? There you go, are you happy yet? ;-) Nope, didn't think so either. Next chapter should be finishing up with the Goblins, for now, and the shopping trip to the alleys, which should be fun! So if you liked it, if you thought something about it, please write a review! I always need inspiration, so more reviews equal more writing! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10: Getting Down to Business

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Well, glad people liked the last two updates. They were slow in coming I know, but again in my defense, I am absolutely swamped at work and at home in the few hours of rest I do have. "Honey-do" lists are not my friend! Thanks again for the reviews and the detailed comments, I really appreciate it and many of them have helped define my thinking on parts to be written into the story. **

**AN2: I agree that Nundu Harry is a lot of fun to write. I've not been able to really write a real fierce all out fight scene with him as a Nundu yet due to the fact that he hasn't really had to fight in order to kill his enemies. Everything till this point has been the equivalent of "put in blender, press the button for frappe" when it comes to the Nundu fighting. That's the mixed blessing of using such a dangerous creature for an animal aspect. There is a reason why the Nundu carries a XXXXX classification with the Ministry of Magic and rates as more dangerous than Dragons who can be stunned by as few as 10 wizards; even with 100 trained hit-wizards it's not a sure thing with a single ****normal**** Nundu.**

**AN3: To the reviewer who made a comment about ebony being a wood, I hope you read the last chapter to see why I had to list ebony as also a magical ore; needed it for the armor of the Blackrock Clan. See, I really do have a purpose for this stuff; I really do try to stick to the details and factual bits as best I can. Thanks for all the reviews and comments though, I appreciate it when people call facts to light or bring up things that can inspire me to come up with something new!**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 10: Getting Down to Business**

"Honey, I liked the Harry Potter movies, too, but that doesn't mean I ran out and got a Dark Mark tattooed onto my left forearm like you did."  
— Jim Butcher (Blood Lite)

The banking rules controlling accounts at Gringotts were a weird amalgamation of loopholes, treaties, laws, and traditions of both the Goblin and Wizarding races. Through the subjugation of the Goblins by the wizards, and their magically binding treaties, the wizards had built a substantive level of control over the Goblin's banking mechanisms that allowed them to feel secure in keeping their money with the goblins. Note that the emphasis in that last sentence should be on the word "feel" placed before secure, thus denoting that the actual security of the wizarding funds was not as real as the "feeling" that the wizards held that they were superior to, and in control of, the goblins that safeguarded their funds. The reality was something entirely different. Though many muggles, wizards, and witches hold that the "Golden Rule" is to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you," the goblin version of the "Golden Rule" was definitely "He who has the Gold, makes the Rule." Thus it was that the Goblin rule of "Devouring" played an underlying, but ultimately controlling, aspect in goblin led banking. The rule of Devouring would play right into Harry's ultimate goals as prior to Harry and Ragnok sitting down in Ragnok's office Harry had enjoyed a nice lunch of raw goblin; also known as the entire Blackrock Goblin Clan.

Ragnok's office was decidedly the opposite of that of the former Gutwrot's office, and it didn't take long before the Goblin and Harry were seated at his new account manager's desk.

"Well Mr. Potter, It appears that there have been a few accounting errors made in your account, errors in Gutwrot's favor I might add." Ragnok stated as he perused Harry's account books.

"Please, call me Harry, and what's the damage to the account and where did it go?" Harry asked as he fidgeted to beg comfortable in the antique looking office chair seated in front of Ragnok's desk.

"Well, it appears that he was stealing from you, but in the end you come out ahead, that is after you Devoured Gutwrot, his holdings, and that of his Clan." Ragnok said, looking up from his book with a toothy smile.

Smiling back, Harry replied, "Nice how it worked out that way, so what else do I need to do? Besides looking at the Will of my parents, which I never saw, what else would you suggest I do?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow, continuing quickly, "After all, I know that you, as my new account manager, know better than to treat me with anything other than integrity and respect." That finished, Harry graced Ragnok with a sharp toothed smile of his own.

Paling for a second before focusing back on the account book, Ragnok stated, "Of course Mr. Potter, um, I mean Harry! As your account manager I would suggest that we first look at your parents' Will, and then we run a hereditary test, and then see what we have to work with; if that suits you?" The last said while facing Harry; it didn't suit Ragnok to piss off Harry in any way.

"Sounds like a plan, let's begin." Harry stated, sprawling back in his chair as a rag-doll cat would seem to, almost deceptively boneless in his appearance of relaxation.

Ragnok proceeded, explaining the process surrounding wizarding inheritance as he pressed a button on his desk and the Potter Will appeared. "Hmm, let's see here, the details state that this Will was originally sealed by Albus Dumbledore…"

"Growl" Harry ground his teeth together and clenched his fists as his eyes seemed to flash green. No longer relaxed in his chair, he sat forward.

"Oh, um, moving on then." Ragnok continued quickly, "You receive everything, yada yada, age of majority to gain access if everything goes well. Hmm, this is interesting, 'Harry in no way should be housed with my sister Petunia Dursley or her slovenly Husband Vernon on pain of our curse.'" Ragnok stated, looking up to find Harry imbedding his nails/claws two inches into the arm rests of his chair.

"I already know that part, as well as that I was supposed to live with my godfather Sirius, keep moving before I have to kill something." Harry growled, his pupils lengthening into slits.

"Absolutely!" Ragnok almost squeaked, "Everything looks to be good as we recognize your magical emancipation, you just need to sign this form here and it will be logged with the Ministry of Magic as you being an adult. Any wand you get will automatically have its tracking removed and your votes that are being voted by Albus Dumbledore will be returned, as well as allowing you to recoup any moneys or property that may have been removed from your vaults by your guardian." Ragnok said the last with words with a gleam in his eyes.

Smiling through his anger Harry replied, "Good, though in the future it may be best for everybody if you don't use HIS name in my presence again."

Nodding, Ragnok turned around a sheaf of papers for Harry to sign to finalize the inheritance, adding Harry's signature to the contract with a blood-quill the paper flashed, rolled itself up in the middle of the air, and then popped away on its way to the ministry.

*Ding!* A cheery little bell rang as an engraved box appeared, the Potter crest residing on top of the box in a gold and ruby inlay. Ragnok pushed the box towards Harry, where Harry opened it. Inside was the Head of House ring, a simple ancient gold ring with the Potter crest on top, also emblazoned with blood rubies. Next to it resided two smaller rings, one dainty in its qualities and the other a smaller version of the Head of House ring. Taking out the Head of House ring, Harry looked up at Ragnok in silent question.

"The Head of House ring and Lordship of the Potters is yours, the thin banded ring is that of your chosen mate or lady, and ring that is a miniature of yours is for your Heir; which should have been given to you at the age of eight by Alb… um, I mean you-know-who."

The statement caused Harry to chuckle darkly under his breath for a second before he slid the ring onto his finger; which warmed for a second, then constricted to fit his finger, flashed invisible, and then visible again. Turning towards Ragnok he raised a single eyebrow.

"The rings are invisible to all those who you don't wish to see the ring. Its selective magic that all of the old house rings have." Ragnok explained, "Now let's do the hereditary tests." The goblin stated as he dug through his desk for a gold roll of parchment and pulled a gold and blessed silver ornate dagger from a drawer. "Give me your hand" Ragnok stated.

Taking Harry's hand, Ragnok made a slight slit on Harry's hand and let the blood drip onto the parchment, which immediate started to glow and show burning red letters upon its surface.

Harry's hand quickly healed itself and he looked at Ragnok in surprise. "That's it? That's all the hereditary test takes?" He asked.

"What? You expected some incredibly ornate ritual room with potions, glowing runes and family crests flashing to life on the walls, or perhaps being forced under some magical solution until you almost pass out? Well if you really want to do that you can, but we really only do that for the naïve wizards who we like to prank or add extra charges to. This method doesn't cost either of us a thing as we can blank the parchment and reuse it for somebody else." Ragnok explained with a toothy smile. To which Harry also smiled back his Cheshire Cat smile. "Well, let's see what we have here." The goblin continued as he read through the sheet.

"Potters, yes… hmmm, Gryffindor from your father, Peverell should be helpful, Black Heir of Scorpius Black… oh, what's this from Sirius Black, that's going to be good." Ragnok said with an evil smile as he continued to read the list of relations.

"Excuse me, care to share? What's good about Sirus?" Harry asked, interrupting Ragnok's reading.

"Well, as you may or may not know, Sirius Black is locked in Azkahban Prison and has been unable to vote his seats or manage his finances for the past ten years. The Malfoy family has been voting his seats in abstention as 'Lord' Lucius Malfoy was able to convince Minister Fudge that his son Draco was the Heir to the Black family and that the Head of the House of Black was incapable of managing his concerns, thus the Heir should take over. Interestingly enough that is the same rule Lucius used to take control of his house from his father when he poisoned his father into paralysis, thus also dodging the rule against slayer's inheriting due to their performing murder." Ragnok explained, "But what Lucius doesn't realize is that both Sirius of the Main line of the Blacks and Scorpius Black of the secondary branch have made you their Heir's to the Black power and fortune, thus reuniting the family into one Heir with full status to all rights and privileges of the House. Basically you are a superior Heir to all current Heirs to the seat because you are an Heir to the mainline and the cadet branch. In fact, if Scorpius wouldn't have died as young as he did, he would have been the Head of the House and you the automatic Heir."

Harry looked at Ragnok with a bit of confusion, "I'm confused, so I'm the Heir of Sirius who is still alive and Scorpius who is dead but not the Head of House, so what?"

"Well," Ragnok said with an evil smile "it is rather complicated but I will attempt to explain it. Lord Malfoy has opened the door for you to be the Head of the Black household as you effectively hold all of the forms of power of the house. First, with Lord Malfoy taking the reins of House Black 's voting power on assumption of Draco being the Heir, you gain that power. You usurp that power as you are the true Heir on your own basis, and you reunite the responsibilities and riches of the splinter line of Scorpius Black back to the main trunk as you are Heirs to both the cadet and main branch. Finally, and more recently, you Devoured Gutwrot and now have full control over the Black fortunes and vaults which normally an Heir doesn't receive until they reach adulthood and inherit the full powers of the House due to the death of the previous Head of House. Thus, you now have the full powers and privileges of the Most Ancient House of Black, and I wouldn't be surprised if Magic didn't recognize you as the Lord of the House even with Sirus still alive." Ragnok said with a dark chuckle.

Stunned for a second, Harry blinked, and then blinked again before a smile crept onto his face for a second. He then paused in thought and turned towards Ragnok, "What does this do to Sirius if anything?"

"Well, he will never be the Head of the House of Black as it is impossible for the Heir to abdicate his spot to the former Head of the House, but it isn't like he is able to use his powers at the moment, so as with all things, Might rules out." Ragnok explained, and with that he pressed a button on his desk.

*Ding!* The Most Ancient House of Black box popped up. Made of Magical Ebony the box had the signet of the house engraved into the lid and the motto emblazoned across the top, "Toujours Pur" written across the bottom. Pushing the box across the table towards Harry, Harry opened it.

Inside was only the Head of House ring and the Heir ring, no ring for the lady of the household. Quirking an eyebrow at Ragnok, the only explanation forthcoming was, "It's a Paternal family, the women don't really have any power and can't assume any of the powers. The purebloods keep the women primarily for breeding, to manage the Manor houses and the children, or to be traded for political alliances." Ragnok explained.

Harry nodded in grim understanding and pulled out of the Black Head of House ring. Putting it on, it seemed to vibrate for a second, grow hot, and then cold, and then it settled down and sized to his finger at it flashed invisible, visible, and then meshed with the Potter Ring to show both crests on the same ring.

*Ding, Ding* The Gryffindor and Peverell rings came next and were quickly merged with the other crests on Harry's ring.

"Excellent, Harry, congratulations on being the richest Wizard in the United Kingdom, if not the world."  
Ragnok stated, not realizing that Harry didn't really care about riches for riches sake. "Now just a few more things, it appears here on the inheritance chart that you have defeated, devoured, and destroyed one Tomas Riddle, who still exists but is unable to manage the accounts of the House of Gaunt and the House of Slytherin. According to this sheet, you even destroyed part of his soul which is usually exceedingly hard to do. By right of Devourment, you may attempt to seize the assets and rights of the vanquished house. What is your decision? It isn't without risk as the Magic of the House itself may attempt to kill you?"

Thinking for a second, Harry asked, "Who is this Tom Riddle that I supposedly defeated and Devoured? I don't remember eating any wizards recently?"

"You probably know him by his self stylized name," Ragnok answered, "Voldemort."

"Ah, in that case, screw him, lets bleed him dry. Sure, what do I have to do to take control of his assets and powers?" Harry asked as Ragnok's statement seemed to explain everything.

"Follow me, we have to head down to the Slytherin Vault." With that, Ragnok and Harry exited Ragnok's office and proceeded through backrooms to a mine cart station.

* * *

Exiting out of the office complex and into the caverns, Harry saw a cart sitting on a track that disappeared into tunnels in either direction; he could see spurs of the track that seemed to disappear into holes in the tunnel walls. Following Ragnok up to the cart Harry saw that another goblin was already sitting in the driver's seat.

"Harry, this is my spawn, Griphook." Ragnok stated, to which Harry acknowledged Griphook with a slight nod of his head. "Griphook, take us to the Slytherin vault, high security section." Ragnok continued.

Shooting off at incredible speeds, making high speed switches of tracks that seemed to impossibly defy the laws of physics and inertia, even at one point leaving the tracks to shoot through the air to connect to another set of tracks, Griphook expertly guided the cart through the twists and turns of the caverns that would have left any creature other than a Goblin hopelessly lost.

Harry had a large smile plastered across his face by the time they got to the lowest levels of Gringotts and the Slytherin vault; the sensation had been similar to when he and Mutwa had gone flying in his mindscape. Getting out of the cart Harry steeled himself and asked what to do next as he gazed upon the silver and emerald studded vault door; the emeralds seeming to form green veiny snakes that twisted and interlocked all over the door. The handle of the door was a silver cobra with its hood flared and the key hole seemed to be hidden in the back of its fanged mouth; the base of the Cobra's tale seemed to be hinged at the door and was obviously the lever that opened the massive vault door. Two open mouthed serpents buttressed the top of the vault door, looking out over the entryway to the vault.

"Walk towards the handle and open it with the force of your will. You have the right to it by the rules of Nature and Magic, but watch out for it to possibly fight you." Ragnok explained.

Nodding in understanding, Harry glided up to the door, looked up at the massive vault door and put his hand on the vault handle and attempted to pull it towards him and open.

At Harry's touch, the Vault door came alive. The emerald snakes slithered in, over and around each other as their ornately carved mouths all shouted out together [INTRUDER!] At this, the "handle" squirmed in Harry's grasp and the cobra in his hand spit venom at Harry, before quickly latching its fangs onto his arm and attempted to inject venom into Harry. At the same time a magical discharge shot out of the two openmouthed serpents to the right and left of the doorway, attempting to electrocute harry with a burst of magically formed lightning.

Quick as a wink, Harry dodged his head to the side, missing the stream of venom, and his body was immediately covered in what looked like scale armor that stopped the serpent handle's fangs from penetrating Harry's skin. Thousands of minute scales covered his body, as if the skincells had enlarged and turned Harry into some sort of human serpent. His elemental skills made fast work of the magical lighting that tried to flood his system, forcing the lightning away from him and back into the door, making the thousands of little snakes to squirm and fidget as if they were being electrocuted.

"[Let go and open up. You don't want me to bite you back.]" Harry stated as his pupils lengthened into slits and his fangs slid out of his mouth; effectively changing Harry to look like some sort of human serpent crossbreed. His tongue flicked out and he tasted the air, he could tell that the venom that was dripping out of the cobra's fangs, onto his armored skin and then onto the floor, couldn't really hurt him in his armored serpentine state but would have been deadly for any other being.

The door answered with thousands of little snake voices as it continued to wriggle and squirm with animated snakes, [Who are you that you can speak the true tongue? Why should we grant you access to our family vault?]

Harry answered, "[Because I am your new master! I was challenged by your scion and then defeated, and devoured him, and I am commanding you to OPEN UP!]" Harry ended his statement with an angry Hisss.

[No!] the thousand voices said in answer, [You can't make us!]

Growling, Harry yanked on the handle with his tremendous strength, tearing the latching mechanism, hinge, and cobra shaped handle from the door; throwing the now useless handle behind him as the magic that animated it ceased as the handle lost contact with the vault's door. Where the latch had been joined to the door now showed a ragged hole in the metal and the latching mechanism in the door that seemed to whirl and click like some giant clockwork puzzle of magical gears, flywheels, and spinning doodads.

Cocking his head to the side, Harry gave into his frustration and rammed his fist through the hole in the door, where he unclenched and then clenched his now clawed hand around some of the clockwork mechanisms and tore them out and onto the floor at his feet. This had an immediate effect on the slithering serpents on the door and buttresses of the door as they gave a dying shriek [AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!] and then ceased their movements or discharge of lightning.

The little emerald snakes stopped moving, and the now magically dead vault door popped open as if a magnetic seal had been broken. Digging his claws into the crack of the open door, Harry pulled the door fully open and out of his way before entering the vault.

"Hmm, that wasn't too hard." Harry thought to himself, totally ignoring the fact that the defenses would have probably destroyed any other being besides him. As he looked around the freshly opened vault, magical torches flared to life, all of them shaped like serpents of course.

"What is it with Slytherin and snakes? I mean, come on, I can talk to snakes too and you don't see me wearing snake skin or carrying a cane with a snakes head on it." He said as he laughed, talking to no person in particular and totally forgetting the fact that he in fact did look like he was wearing snake skin at the moment; what with all of his scaled armor covering his exposed face and hands.

In the middle of the vault, on a green snake shaped pedestal, was the box where the family ring should be. The vault held chests of jewels, a few shelves of books, some armor and weapons and piles of galleons heaped against all the walls and spanning to the ceilings. Not really strapped for cash, as he had slightly less than 40 million galleons in his purse after the purchase of his clothes, he approached the pedestal and the Slytherin family ring box.

Upon opening the simple polished pine box with the Slytherin crest on the top, he was surprised to find that the box was empty. Turning towards Ragnok who stood in the doorway to the vault Harry asked, "What gives? The ring isn't here?"

Ragnok entered the vault and walked up towards the box, stating, "Hmmm, that's interesting, the ring should automatically return to the vault upon the death or destruction of the former Head of the House. The only other reason would be if the former Head had taken the ring off and stored it with enchantments to protect the ring, but that is easily solved." Ragnok stated as he touched the box and pushed a bit of his Goblin magic into it.

Suddenly with a "Pop!" the ring appeared in the box; a plain grayish black stone, as if from a stream bed, was mounted on a gold band and the rock was engraved with a simple "S". "There, that should have destroyed any of the protective spells on the ring and you can safely wear it." Stated Ragnok as he stepped back from the box and let Harry approach it.

Harry reached into the box and towards the ring, only to stop when the hairs on the back of his hand stood on end and his instincts caused him to flinch back quickly.

"That ring is not natural!" Harry spat, "I can feel several things about it, both old spiritual magic like what I was taught in Africa as well as something new and very evil, something that feels very familiar." Stalking around the pedestal as if the ring was Harry's prey, Ragnok quickly shuffled back so he would be out of Harry's way.

Harry circled the ring several times, only to swing back to prowl around it in the other direction, as if he was a hunting cat playing with his "food." The ring bothered him as he used his Occlumency skills to sort through his memories to try and figure out where he recognized this magical signature.

It came to him an instant later, the spirit of Voldemort! That was where he had felt this feeling before. Part of what Mutwa had done in sending the spirit to have a reckoning with GoGo had been to take it out of Harry's head and separate it from Harry's being. In that moment between Mutwa pulling it out of his head and casting the evil spirit fragment away, Harry had felt the taste or sense of malevolence of the spirit, even while distracted by the agonizing pain of Mutwa's ritual.

Stopping, Harry stared at the ring with anger, there was no way that he was going to put that ring on with Voldemort's spirit inside of it; he'd already gotten rid of the spirit one time and he would be damned if he was going to let Tom taint him again with his unnaturalness. The problem was that he didn't have Mutwa's ability to commune with GoGo enough to send the spirit on, so he would have to fall back on the memories provided by Scorpius's Black.

"You might want to step back for this Ragnok, I don't know exactly what is going to happen when I deal with this horcrux." Harry stated.

At the mention that the ring was a horcrux Ragnok's eyes got very large, and he took several more steps back from Harry and the pedestal.

The Black family had extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts; in fact, the library in the Black mansion was probably the preeminent library of the Dark Arts in Europe. Most, if not all, of this knowledge had been known by Scorpius Black and thus was now known by Harry Potter. In that knowledge was the know-how on how to both create and destroy these darkest of dark artifacts.

"Hmmm, fiendfyre would be too messy and ruin the ring." Harry said out loud as he stroked his chin in thought for a second before he realized what he was doing. "Oh, should have thought of that." He stated as he stroked his jaw line. With that, a fang extended from his face and dripped venom into his upturned hand.

"Hope this works, as it usually takes Basilisk venom. Here goes nothing." Harry said, as he turned his hand holding the small puddle of venom over, spilling the venom onto the stone of the Slytherin family ring.

As the venom trickled off of his fingers it fell on the stone and seemed to run down the etching of the "S" before seeming to be absorbed by the stone, only for nothing more to happen.

Taking a step back, Harry turned to Ragnok and said, "Bugger! I was hoping that would wo…" Only to be interrupted by a death scream as a black esper seemed to drift up out of the stone.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!" The portion of Tom Riddle's spirit drifted up like black smoke, screaming for a brief second, before it seemed to drift away as if blown apart by ethereal winds.

"Score!" Harry said as he looked back at the ring in the case. Poking it a couple of times to make sure it wouldn't bite him or do something else strange or evil, Harry removed the ring from the box and examined it. The stone didn't look any worse for wear, and it looked like the venom had removed any tarnish or detris that had been stuck to the ring as the gold and the stone seemed to shine as if new and freshly polished.

"Nice, not only can my venom kill people, animals, and horcrux, but it makes a nice jewelry polish as well." Harry joked as he put the ring on his finger.

Rather than merging and fully disappearing as all of the other rings did, this time the stone of the Slytherin ring seemed to become the focus or base stone embedded in the gold and became a part of the Lordship ring. In addition, the ring seemed to increase in girth and weight to add the Slytherin family crest. The most interesting part of Harry's Head of House ring's transformation seemed to be a weird green glowing circle that was added to the center of the shield on the Peverell's family crest, only for the circle to go black and the light to stop glowing; leaving the Peverell family crest slightly changed.

"Hmm, that was interesting, oh well, what now Ragnok?" Harry asked with a shrug as he dropped his hand to his side; his armored skin, slit pupils and fangs all disappearing as the threat to Harry passed with his conquering the Slytherin family magic.

"Well Harry, that was a bit more excitement then I expected, and you seemed to have ruined the magic placed on this vault. What shall we do with the wealth here?" Ragnok questioned.

"Oh yeah, I might have ruined the door a little bit." Harry said, "Well I figure it wouldn't hurt to add all of my vaults together into one family vault, seeing as how all of the families are combined with me. I guess put them into the strongest and most protected of the Vaults and we will go from there."

With that, Ragnok clapped his hands and the sound of Carts pulling up on the tracks outside the vault could be heard. A second later, goblins with pushcarts and shovels started entering the Slytherin vaults and piling up the treasures for shipment to the other vaults.

"Right then, after that bit of excitement we should just go back to my office for the final bit of dealing with the other accounts that you took management of when you Devoured Gutwrot and took over the accounts he managed." Ragnok said, leading the way back to the carts.

"What do you know about the Malfoy family?" Ragnok asked as Harry and he exited the former Slytherin vault.

* * *

**AN: Good place to stop. Don't worry, I've already written the next chapter and will release it tomorrow. Until then you will just have to suffer. WA HA HA HA HA HA ha ha.. ha.. ha.. Oh, um, excuse me. That slips out every now and then; irritates the wife also. Anyway, the next chapter will have some action, but will mostly be just a lot of evil fun. Until then!**

**AN2: Please, leave a review with your thoughts to help inspire me! Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11: A Tale of Two Alleys

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Well, now you have another two-fer; one chapter yesterday, one today. Thanks to everybody who wrote to encourage me and inspire me to think about what I want to write into the coming chapters. Best wishes, and now with the fun! (Cue evil smile*)**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 11: A Tale of Two Alleys**

"I've had a tense couple of days. And I've got to tell you, burning someone's face off sounds like a great way to relax."  
— Jim Butcher (Small Favor)

The trip up from the Slytherin vault had taken what felt like only a moment, but Harry enjoyed every second of it. His mind drifted back from thoughts of what it must be like to fly to concentrate on what Ragnok was telling him about the Malfoy family. Harry could pretty much sum up Ragnok's comments on the Malfoy family in a short sentence: Never had a bigger bunch of bloody ass-wankers walked the wizarding world; bloody wankers whose account's manager was now Harry Potter.

Apparently the Malfoy family was a Dark family, that didn't bother Harry all that much. No, what bothered Harry about the Malfoys was that they were the biggest bigots in Wizarding Britain, the biggest harvester of animal products for potion supplies, the largest proponents of prejudiced laws and policies in the wizarding government, and the biggest nail in their coffin was that they were some of the biggest supporters of Voldemort. From Ragnok's telling it, and Harry's thinking, even the fact that 'Lord' Lucius Malfoy was a pain in Dumbledore's arse wasn't mitigating enough to allow Harry to spare the Malfoy family pain and destruction. Yes the ministry might buy that cockamamie bull story of "imperius," but the Goblins had the real details, and they clearly showed that Lucius was as crooked as they came. As Harry looked through the account documents that he had "inherited" from Gutwrot, he saw the reality of the situation. Lucius had bribed his way out of trouble, had bribed the Minister to support his laws and his opinions, and had regularly supported Voldemort for too long and in too organized of a manner for him to be under the haze inducing effects of the Imperius curse.

"Hmmm," Harry stated out loud as he read through the Malfoy account books, perusing both the legal and illegal entities that funded the family. Slowly, as Harry turned the page, he started to smirk. The smirk slowly became a grin. The grin then became a smile that eerily grew to split his face from ear to ear. Looking up at Ragnok Harry decided to ask two questions first before he could see if his ideas would work. "Ragnok, first things first, is there some rule that mandates that you inform Lord Malfoy that Gutwrot is dead and that I or another goblin is managing the account instead of Gutwrot?" Harry asked.

Ragnok sat back in his seat and looked up as he thought for a second. Slowly, smiling at Harry he said, "No Harry, I can't think of any reason or rule why we would have to tell him. How do you expect to get around him calling to speak with you and find out that a Goblin isn't managing his account?"

"Oh, no, you totally read me wrong Ragnok, I have no reason to want to manage his account; just like I don't really want to manage my own account. I'm going to be too busy with my other activities and I don't care enough about making money or losing money to be a good manager; that's why I have you managing my accounts and trying to help me gain money. Here is my second question, if a manager did a very poor job of managing an account, would Lord Malfoy have to challenge the manager as I had to challenge Gutwrot?" Harry questioned with a gleam in his eye and a smile.

Starting to realize where Harry was going with his questions, Ragnok answered, "Well, technically he could just choose a new manager, but if he was to challenge the decisions of the account manager on the grounds of thievery, blatant dishonesty or disregard, then as a matter of honor a challenge would have to take place. Why, what are you thinking?" Ragnok stated, leaning forward in his chair to hear Harry's plan.

"Well it's like this, how would you like to make a great deal of money?" Harry continued, "Your spawn Griphook might like to manage the Malfoy account for me, but manage it very poorly…" Harry explained with an evil gleam in his eye. Harry then went on to explain his plan on what the foreseeable future would hold for the Malfoy fortune, and in turn, the Firewater Clan and Harry Potter's fortunes. The first blow would be struck against the Malfoy's power, and as the goblins knew, gold was a form of power.

* * *

Exiting the doors of Gringotts bank and into Diagon Alley, Harry Potter stopped at the threshold and looked out over the teaming crowds of people going about their shopping. The wizarding families that were getting an early start on their Hogwarts shopping where hustling and bustling all over the place, and business wizards streamed in and out of the doors of the Goblin bank; all of them totally oblivious to the fact that their "savior" was standing in the middle of the bank's doorway.

"Hi Honey, I'm Hooommeeee!" Harry said out loud to himself with a creepy smile; the only creatures to hear it were the two goblin guards who seemed to shiver at the somewhat cheery statement coming from a boy who they had seen destroy an entire goblin clan. Harry had remembered two shows from the Dursley's television where the "father" of a family had stated those very words as he walked through the door; both had struck him in their unnaturalness. One was in black and white and showed a "normal" family in suburbia, the other a horror movie where the father entered the room with an axe. Harry thought the last one was rather fitting for his circumstances as he lifted the cowl of his cloak to hide his face and left the threshold of the bank, off to start his shopping trip.

* * *

Harry let Scorpius's memories guide him to his first errand, which was Ollivander's wand store to purchase his "primary" wand. Harry reminded himself that a predator had to first blend in with his surroundings, and there was no way that the famous Harry Potter could proceed out in the open without following certain norms. The first of these norms was to get a wand from the ministry approved wand store.

Entering Ollivander's, the bell above the door jingled as he walked in. Immediately the hairs on his neck rose and he blinked as he looked around. He could always see the magic around him after he received his gift from the spirit of the Zulu Witchdoctor, but he had yet been to a place with so many different colors of magic. The shelves were covered in boxes upon boxes of what must have been wands, and each box had a different magical color to it; which Harry realized had to come from the many different cores and magical materials present in the wands. His ear twitched as he heard a man attempting to approach him from behind, and the taste in the air told him that the man tasted of wood dust and a myriad of magical materials. Harry assumed that this must be Ollivander.

Turning quickly to face the owner of the shop, it was the owner that was startled by the fast movement, and not the other way around.

Startled, Ollivander jumped back. "Curious…" Ollivander stated before almost seeming to pause for effect as he starred at the black hooded figure, "Who might you be short one, and what can I do for you?" the wand maker questioned.

Removing his hood, Harry gave Ollivander a blank look, noting the slight twitch of Ollivander's eyes that let Harry know that Ollivander now knew who Harry was. "I'm here to buy a wand, of course."

Ollivander exclaimed "Ah Mr. Potter, I wondered when I might see you… Why I remember when your parents came in for their first wands. It was…"

Harry interrupted Ollivander with a terse word, "Yes yes, thank you sir, I'm glad my deceased parents enjoyed your wands up until their untimely demise. I'm sure they were especially whipping or twitchy and perfectly suited for them. Too bad their wands couldn't save their lives. Now I would like to be fitted for a wand and I think that one in the box on the far back shelf, left hand side, up three levels, forth box on the right, two boxes up would be the best fit for me." Harry stated as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Ahem," Ollivander said taken aback, "I'm sorry my boy, but that isn't how it's done. The wand chooses the wizard Mr. Potter, not the other way around," Ollivander exclaimed as he began taking down other boxes and bringing them towards Harry to try out.

"Ah ah ah, stop right there." Harry stated as he held up his hand to stop Ollivander's actions. "You're not much of a business man are you?" Harry stated, "I'm not going to try a single other wand until you let me try the one that I stated. And if you can't deal with that, then we will be having a problem." Harry stated in a no nonsense manner. Harry really wanted to start off on the right foot with towards his goals, and he didn't think eating Britain's preeminent wand maker would be keeping with his goal of staying under the proverbial radar.

"Really now Mr. Potter, I've been doing this for far longer than you have even been alive." Ollivander stated, but seeing as how Harry didn't look like he was going to budge on his stance, the wand maker continued. "Sigh, alright Mr. Potter, we will try that wand first."

With that, Harry watched Ollivander proceed to the far back shelf, left hand side, up three shelves, forth box on the right, two boxes up and brought the box back to Harry with a slightly condescending smile, not really noticing what wand he was handing to Harry.

Now normally when a wand finds its wizard the wizard's magic reacts to the wand and there are small sparks, maybe a little tune, or with especially powerful wizards you might get a combination of these and a aura could light up around the wizard. Harry wasn't a normal wizard. Harry wasn't even in the same ball park as a measly "powerful" wizard. No, Harry's magic was connected to the GoGo.

"KAAAABOOOOOM!"

Wizards out on the streets in front of Ollivander's were shocked to see the storefront windows, which had been charmed to be unbreakable, shudder and crack, forming spider-web designs all over them. All of the wands in the windows and the shelf behind the windows seemed to lift into the air and hover for a second before falling into a mess on the ground. And that was just the view from the outside of the store.

The view inside Ollivander's had Harry recalling a game that had held Dudley's attention for all of about 15 minutes at one time; a record considering Dudley's ADHD and significant lack of functioning brain cells. The game was called "pick-up-sticks" and was played by dropping a bundle of fine pointy sticks on the floor and then trying to pick them up in an organized method without moving any other stick. At that moment, Ollivander's store looked like it was holding the World Cup game of pick-up-sticks.

Wands were everywhere, boxes were everywhere, and all of the shelves where off kilter, knocked over or broken. The wand owner was much worse; apparently nobody had taught wizards weapon safety and not to be standing in front of the "barrel" when a weapon is armed.

Ollivander lay in a sprawled out form on the floor, twitching every so often and not wearing a single stitch of clothing as it was all laying around him in shreds. Fortunately Ollivander had passed out face down, Harry thought as he looked down at the wand maker whose hair was standing on end and who appeared to be going into convolutions at that moment. Still, Ollivanders pale and wrinkly backside was not something Harry wanted to look at.

Harry didn't know which part of the wand joining had been the one to knock Ollivander out. When Harry's hand had clasped his new wand many things had happened at once, so it was hard to figure out which one had the largest effect on Ollivander. Perhaps it had been the point where ovals of light seemed to appear in the air around the store and opened up what appeared to be portals to dimensions of shear unspeakable chaos. Perhaps it was the beam of light that shown down on Harry from above and the Chorus of angles and phoenix song that seemed to issue out around him. "No," Harry stated to himself, "I'm putting my money on the bolt of lightning that spat from the tip of my wand and hit the old bugger right between the eyes." Harry said with a chuckle as the wand maker seemed to stop shaking and fall into a comatose state.

"Oh well, no harm no foul." Harry said with a shrug as he looked around. He noticed a wrist holster on the ground next to him and retrieved that and a wand care kit that Ollivander seemed to be partially laying on. Digging out ten galleons, he picked his way through the mess and laid them on the counter before recounting his steps and leaving the store. He had gotten what he wanted, so he didn't really care about the wand maker any more. Hopefully his phoenix feather and holly wand would serve him better than his parents' wands had served them.

* * *

Shopping at the trunk store and apothecary had proceeded pretty well from Harry's point of view. He had left the trunk store long before the Aurors had arrived to help find the rude trunk salesman's head and limbs that had been hidden in different trunks. Harry had also left the apothecary with his supplies and a smile on his face; it wasn't as if the animal parts at the store weren't already dead, so they wouldn't mind the fire that Harry had started next to the stasis barrel of erumpent fluid. The explosion that had issued up into the air as Harry walked away from the store had helped sooth Harry's temper after having to deal with all of the pushy wizards that swarmed the alley; it also didn't hurt that the Malfoy family held majority shares in that particular apothecary. Apparently the Obliviators would be as busy in the muggle parts of London around the Alley as the Aurors were in the Alley. Who knew that a magically shrunk barrel of erumpent fluid could launch the roof of a building four hundred feet in the air and out into muggle London?

Entering Madam Malkin's, Harry decided that it would be one of his last stops in Diagon Alley before he proceeded into Knockturn Alley; he needed to follow up on a few ideas that Scorpius Black's memories had given him. The store was just as he remembered it to be, or more specifically as the memories from Scorpius Black last recorded it. Racks of robes where placed around the inside of Madame Malkin's clothing store, the walls were either covered in large floor to ceiling mirrors or wall racks holding more robes of all colors; the vast majority of them being some variety or combination of black. As Harry looked around he realized that he still had no clue how to pick out clothing, everything in the room might as well been a burlap sack or a simple animal skin for all he cared. One of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors was populated by a blonde boy who looked to be Harry's age, not that Harry looked his age but the boy definitely appeared to be eleven years old. Candles around the mirror added a flickering light that helped the boy and his mother, who stood a couple feet away, examine the clothing being tailored. Kneeling and shuffling around the boy was most likely the proprietor of the shop, Madam Malkin, her one hand was pinching fabric to different positions and her wand was in her other hand taking up the slack on the clothing the boy was wearing.

"Going to Hogwarts deary? I'll be right with you in a moment if you want to stand in front of the other mirror." Madam Malkin stated, holding on to the blonde boys clothing while giving Harry a moment of her attention.

Silently, Harry gracefully prowled through the clothing racks, seeming to almost float but with a definite power to his movements that caught the eye of the blonde boy's mother; a stunning blonde beauty who was wearing a rather stern high necked Victorian style dress in black with silver etching. Noting the perusal by the mother, Harry thought he might have some fun; he knew he was most likely too young for the women even though he looked like he could be in his mid teens due to his lack of body fat and chiseled features. Smirking slightly as he moved around the mother who kept her view on him from her periphery, he realized that today was July 31st, his birthday, and that he was eleven. But then the thought flitted away from him as he hadn't celebrated his birthday since he was one years old and his parents were still alive.

Stepping up onto the other fitting stand, he made a slight show of taking off his robe and exposing the fact that he his muscles strained against his shirt and pants. Folding up his robe, he turned his back to the blonde women and bent over as if to place his robe on the ground, not letting his smirk show in his reflection and catching the slight sound of a gasp that would have been missed except for his incredible hearing.

Narcissa Malfoy was stunned as she felt urges flowing through her that she hadn't felt in years, but tainted with a bit of guilt. Here was this boy who looked to be a 4th year at Hogwarts, and she was lusting after him a bit. She had seen his smirk as he walked by her, and the careless arrogance was a bit of a turn-on just as it had been part of what had originally attracted her to her husband Lucius. Too bad it turned out that her husband was a poof and hadn't touched her since she had birthed Draco. It wasn't as if she cared that he dipped his wick with other wizards, it was the fact that her "loving" husband had made sure that her marriage contract had a strict no fraternization clause in her portion of the contract, so she couldn't satisfy her itch while he was out on a "boys night." Here was this boy of what looked to be 15 or 16 and she couldn't do anything to enjoy it, even though that was considered a little young to be sampling the goods, even in wizarding Britain. "But dear god the boy had a nice butt!" Narcissa thought with a gasp, her façade of disregard for all those around her cracking for a second as the boy bent over to lay his folded robe on the ground. Her licentious thoughts were interrupted by her son opening his mouth and no doubt beginning to show that he took after his father in being a pompous ass.

"Off to Hogwarts are you?" Draco asked, but continuing before Harry could even answer, if he had deigned to do so, "I think it's a travesty that first years can't get a broom. I'm Draco Malfoy, and I'm going to be the Slytherin house seeker for sure. What position do you play?" Draco continued, Madame Malkin rolled her eyes in exasperation as she tried to keep the boy's clothes from being ruined as he wouldn't hold still.

"I don't know, never played it." Harry stated without really looking at the boy, realizing from Scorpius's memories that the boy was most likely talking about quidditch.

"What! Never played quidditch have you? You must be a mudblood then." Draco spat with a sneer, causing Narcissa's face to go pale as she realized her son was too stupid to put two and two together and realize that he was insulting a wizard wearing expensively tailored Acromantula silk and Dragon hide and that there was no way that a muggleborn would be able to wear that clothing and maneuver through the alley unattended. She silently cursed Lucius for his corrupting the boy and breeding his branch of stupidity into Narcissa's son.

Before Narcissa would interject with an politic apology, the black haired boy spoke. "I'd watch your tongue Malfoy as your fly is open and your stupid is showing." Harry stated.

Draco looked down at his pants quickly, and then back up at Harry with a dumb look ,where a few dozen seconds passed before he realized that he had just been insulted. Turning red, a decidedly bad color when considering Draco's hair color, Draco ordered, "What is your name mudblood, wait until my father hears of this!"

Quirking an eyebrow at Draco, Harry replied with an uncaring wave of his hand, "Harry, and I'd watch what you are saying Draco, you never know when it might come back to "Bite" you in the end."

Spinning around and knocking Madam Malkin out of the way Draco moved closer to the candleholders and the edge of his mirrored section and opened his mouth to insult Harry again, Harry realized that he had dealt with Draco Malfoy long enough for that day; it also wouldn't do to get blood on clothes that Harry might end up wanting to purchase. Snapping his figures behind his back, the candle right next to Draco's head sparked and shot an ember of wick onto Draco's hair.

"Whooosh!"

Apparently Draco liked to use muggle hairspray, as his perfectly coifed and slicked back hair went up in a fireball and he did a wizard's imitation of Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

Draco went "AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" followed by a "Whooosh!" as both Madam Malkin and Narcissa both hit Draco's head with the fire hose equivalent of the Aguamenti charm.

Narcissa quickly bundled Draco and his purchase up in order to rush him to St. Mungo's for burn paste and hair re-growth potions. It was only later after she had left the store and was waiting for the Healers to deliver Draco's potions that she had time to really think and remember the smirk on the boy named Harry's face. It was then that she figured out two things: one, perhaps Draco's "accident" wasn't so "accidental" after all; and second, "Harry" looked a lot like somebody from her memory, but she couldn't put it together just yet.

* * *

Luna and her father were doing some last minutes shopping, as they always seemed to do since her mother had died and left just her and her father alone. Her father was just too scatter brained to think of things such as stocking a pantry or planning to buy extra parchment and ink to print the Quibbler. However the nargles must have been smiling on them that day as it looked like their trip to Diagon Alley was timed perfectly with the Rotfang Conspiracy's attack on an apothecary, trunk shop, and the wand store. Perhaps if they could get all of the details on these attacks, then they could figure out why Minister Fudge had been seen in a Knockturn Alley establishment wearing nothing but a hippogriff's saddle and bit while being whipped by house elves. She had sworn to help her father get to the bottom of it, or her name wasn't Abigale Bobbinghouse!

Just as Luna and her father walked past the windows of Madame Malkin's, after interviewing the Aurors at the apothecary explosion, she swore she saw Harry Potter through the window; naked as the day he was born, but definitely a whole lot more muscular than the day he was born.

"Daddy dearest, why is Harry Potter naked in a shop full of clothing? Why wouldn't he be wearing the clothing? And why does he make my tummy feel all itchy inside?" Luna asked her father.

"What! I thought the healers got you over that! Back to St. Mungos, and then we are going to stay away from Diagon and any place where you might come into contact with Boys, obviously something is wrong with your magic and you've caught the dreaded 'boy fever' that the muggle medical magazine YM spoke about; I only hope we can stop it before you go 'boy crazy'" Xenophilius stated. "I'll get you healthy Pumpkin-dumpling, if it's the last thing I do, or my name isn't Humphry Humpgarden!" Xenophilius stated as he pushed his daughter towards the apparition point to return her to St. Mungo's.

Xenophilius hoped that the muggle YM magazines that he had purchased would have the cure in them, somewhere between the makeup tips and the what is hot-or-not for the season; who knew that muggles were affected by seasonal fevers and were prone to having red cheeks and blue on their eyelids?

"Ok daddy, but please don't call me pumpkin, I don't like pumpkin and I'd prefer rutabaga today." Luna said as she was dragged off down the Alley, wistfully looking back to where she had last seen Harry.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Madame Malkin's, Madame Malkin was passed out on the floor as she had just realized that Harry Potter was naked in her store.

Fortunately for Harry he was the only one in the store, and he really didn't understand why shop keepers kept dropping unconscious around him. Well, sure he had blasted Ollivander with a lightning bolt, and sure Harry had repeatedly slammed the trunk salesman's head with the lid of a trunk until he passed out, but there was no reason why Madame Malkin should have passed out just because she asked Harry to try on an outfit. This time was totally not his fault. After all, Harry didn't realize that he was supposed to wear underwear, what with all of his previous pairs of underwear from Dudley having brown stains on them and being way too big; it wasn't like he had ever really worn them.

Shrugging to himself, Harry continued to try on, and strip off the outfits that Madame Malkin had brought over for him when he had requested a full wardrobe; totally oblivious to the changing room that lay just to his right and behind a rack of robes.

Just as he was taking off his shirt and turning around to try on another outfit he caught a whiff of the smell of the forests and a bit of the plains of Africa, that and something that smelt rather nice. Whirling around, he gazed out the window, just in time to see a cute young blonde girl halt in her walk by, catching Harry's eye. It was only for a moment before she was pulled out of sight by what must have been her father, Harry's guess being based on the fact that they were the only two wizards he'd ever seen to wear matching tie-dyed robes. For some strange reason his subconscious seemed to recognize her, and by the time he had sorted through his memories to a point where he remember where he had last seen her, she was already gone. He had at least gotten a better view of her this time, as the last time had been a bit of a blur as he thought he remembered running through her camp, or maybe it was with a hippo behind him. He stood naked in the room pondering his thoughts and memories for a second, until he caught himself wondering why the heck he should care if he had seen the girl before; and where had the thought that she was cute come from?

"Oh well," Harry said to himself with a shrug before packaging up all of the outfits that he had liked. Scorpius, as a high-born pureblood scion, had the knowledge of the spells to tailor or fit clothes, so it was only a matter of time before the clothes would fit Harry perfectly. Harry thought that he would need to start teaching himself the muscle memory of the wand movements and the feeling of the magic so that he could become proficient as a wand wizard. He reminded himself that this was one of the main reasons he needed to go to Hogwarts. It wasn't as if he couldn't perform a spell from memory, however, but struggled to make his spells fluid as he had to be consciously thinking what he wanted to cast an pull up the memory. This didn't mesh well with his style of instinctual fighting let alone the fluidity of spell casting he would need to reach his goals of destroying the wizards who oppressed him.

Dressed and stepping over the prone form of Madam Malkin, Harry took out a couple hundred galleons and laid them on the counter. He saw that there was a bit of parchment on it so he wrote a note that Madam Malkin could contact him if she needed more, and to just send him an owl. With that, Harry shrunk his purchases and added them to his trunk, which he then shrunk and put in his pocket.

As he walked out of the clothing store Harry thought to himself, "Hmmm, I could get used to this shopping thing. Free trunk, a bit of blowing off steam, and then I'm on my way. Nice." He thought, walking down the street towards the Parchment store and Eeylop's Owl Emporium.

* * *

The Parchment store hadn't taken more than a few seconds, and Eeylop's had gone quickly. As soon as Harry had prowled through the door of the Owl Emporium, every single Owl and animal in the place shut up and tried to make them self as small as possible; who ever said that post-owls weren't smart didn't know what they were talking about. Purchasing a snowy white owl, which he named Hedwig after convincing her he wasn't buying her to be a snack, he wrote out his acceptance letter to Hogwarts and McGonagall and sent his owl on her way with it. Because of the time spent traveling from Africa, dealing with the Goblins, and then the shopping, night had started to set in and the sun had already disappeared to the point where you couldn't see it behind the buildings. Diagon Alley seemed to clear out as the wizarding families returned home to enjoy their family suppers. Though a bit hungry, Harry figured he could pick up some food in Knockturn Alley while he finished up his shopping trip.

* * *

Whereas the activity in Diagon Alley seemed to be dying down as the sun left the sky, Knockturn Alley seemed to be getting busier. Knockturn Alley was one of those seedy dives that every city has, that part of town that the government sees as a pustule on their society and where visitors in from out of town are politely told never to go into. Sure, some people who lived and worked in Knockturn did so because they had nowhere else they could go; beaten, downtrodden, poor, the ill and all who had no other place to go flocked to Knockturn's cheap housing and jobs that paid under the table. But the reason why the housing and facilities in Knockturn alley were cheap was because Knockturn was a warren of crime and death. It was by no means the worst place to visit on the planet, no doubt the back warren of some third world country held that crown, but it was a place where one could expect to have their pocket, purse, or even their neck, slit at any time. It was into this that Harry took a leisurely stroll and learned another lesson.

Maybe it was the hunger that distracted him, maybe it was pride, maybe it was because everything that day had gone so easily for him, whatever the cause, Harry Potter walked down Knockturn Alley without his hood cloaking his features and his young age. Whatever the reason was, Harry was a bit caught off guard when a hag stepped out of a shadow and caught his sleeve, the smells of the alley hiding her sweaty and grimy stench.

"Hello deary," the warty and pestilence covered old hag stated as she attempted to pull Harry back into the shadows where a split between buildings was hidden, "How about coming back to my place for dinner, he he he?" she asked with a cackle.

"Hey! Let go!" Harry said, his surprise wearing off enough for him to jerk his arm out of her grasp just as he entered the split area between buildings. "I don't think I'm interesting in tasting anything you're serving." Harry said as he backed away from the old women who had caught him off his guard, Only to get hit with a blinding pain right between his shoulder blades.

"Diffindo!" Was hissed from behind him, right as he felt an excruciating stab that seemed to cut and span from his left shoulder-blade up across to his right shoulder; tumbling him forward into the dark crevice with a splash of blood that went flying out of his back and over his head.

Walking out of the shadows from the other side of the alley was a tall brute of a man, smears of fluids on his brown robes, ugly with a smashed and crooked nose and multiple missing teeth that were on display from his evil gap-toothed smile.

"He he, see, that wasn't too bad." The thug said as he tucked his wand back into the holster on his hip as he took out a sharp looking machete off the other side of his belt. Looking down at the body of Harry as it lay in an expanding pool of blood. Harry was face down in the blood as it drenched his robes and spread out from the gash across his back, a gash that was widely split open and showing a great deal of bone exposed to the air.

Looking up at the Hag who seemed to shift from foot to foot in her impatience, the thug continued, "You'll get the same payment as before, plus the liver, and heart for your stew pot as promised. Have him for dinner, he he, that was a good one." The thug said to the hag with a cruel smirk.

Only to be interrupted by a muffled voice from his feet, "Dinner? Well since you insist." It stated to the thugs confusion.

Harry kicked back from his place on the ground, right foot lashing back and blasting the right knee of the brute into a bent reverse forty-five degree angle; causing the brute to launch forward.

The brute let out a small grunt of pain, but used his forward momentum to try and bring the blade of his machete down on the back of Harry's head.

*Swack!* The blade missed cleaving Harry's head by a brief second, pinning Harry's cloak to the ground as the machete imbedded itself between two of the cobblestones that made up the gap between the buildings.

Harry's neck was jerked back by his cloak as he tried to fully stand up, which probably saved him from the point blank cutting curse that was aimed at his neck by the hag.

Jerked out of the way of the cutting curse, Harry stumbled back into the brute, knocking over the man who was trying to yank his machete out of the ground and tangling Harry's cloak over the man's head as Harry tumbled backwards and flipped his feet over the man, dodging a nasty purple colored curse from the Hag's wand.

Kicking out at the brute's head and connecting his right knee to the thug's jaw, Harry heard a satisfying grunt as the thug fell to the ground next to his machete, stunned for the moment. At the same time, Harry twisted his body to the left, using the momentum of his knee strike to propel him out of the way of the hag's Crucio. "Apparently they were playing for keeps," Harry thought to himself as the curse sizzled by his body.

*Snap* Harry punched his fight hand out towards the hag and then snapped his fingers. The bricks of the wall behind the hag imitating his motion as a stone hand shot out with two fingers wide, only to click its fingers together at the waist of the hag, effectively crushing her middle into the width of a galleon; causing the Hag to start screaming her head off.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" The hag screamed.

"Shut up already!" Harry said as his wand slid out of its holster and into his right hand. "Let's see how you like it!" Harry growled, casting a Diffindo at the Hag's neck while at the same time stomping on the brute's hand, breaking it and stopping the thug from pulling his wand.

As the Hag's head popped off with a spray of blood from the overpowered cutting curse, Harry reached down with his left hand and yanked the machete clean of the cobblestones and his cloak, a twinge of pain made him gasp as he stumbled away from the downed thug.

"Bloody Hell that hurts!" Harry gritted, "I haven't felt something like that since the time Dudley and his friends tried to play doctor with carving knives!" He stated, hitching his right shoulder in a circle as he felt the flesh on his back knit back together, the blood slowing yet still soaking his body to the point where it stuck to him all over. He felt a little light headed and he realized that he really needed to get some food into his body if he wanted to heal up and not pass out on his feet.

"You freaks interrupted my shopping!" Harry groused as he walked up to the suspended hag's body, focusing on the downed brute and keeping the thug at wand point; the thug looking up at Harry with a glare as he didn't move from his kneeling position. "And to think, you were stupid enough to do it so close to the mouth of Diagon Alley, the Aurors will no doubt be here soon based on "old beauty's" screaming." Harry snapped, the sarcasm dripping from his words at the description of the hag. Reaching down, he picked up the Hag's wand and pointed it at the thug.

"Neither of you are good enough to eat," Harry stated, the man's eyes going wide at the statement, "But it's my job to take down the sick, so consider this a job well done, Imperio!" Harry cried, using the hag's wand to cast the Imperius on the thug.

The Thug's face went blank, his features relaxed and his eyes went glassy. "Alright, pull out your wand." Harry stated, to which the thug complied. "Ok, now put the tip of your wand to your ass, and cast Reducto." Harry said with an evil smirk. The thug again complied, this time turning Harry's smirk into a grimace as he was showered with bits and pieces of the dearly departed.

"Bloody hell!" Harry stated, wiping the blood off his face and flicking the former thug's nose off his shoulder. Looking around at the scene of destruction, Harry realized that the clock was ticking and that he needed to get away quickly. A bit blurrily, Harry focused on the Hag's body which was being held up by the stone fingers. Harry thrust his hand out away from him in an open palm pushing motion, and the stone fingers let the hag's body drop as it meshed back into the wall. Harry cast a scourgify on the puddle of his blood, hoping that the thug's spreading pool of blood would cover up the fact that he'd cleaned part of the crime scene. Scooping to pick up the thug's dropped wand, Harry glided out of the gap between the buildings and back into Knockturn Alley, Harry pocketing the wands as he kept to the shadows and he tried to get away from the carnage before the Aurors arrived.

As he wincingly glided down the alley, Harry thought to himself that he had learned that he wasn't invincible, a poignant but very painful lesson to learn.

* * *

"The Three-fisted Hag" was not the type of drinking and dining environment that you would take your mother to brunch at. In fact, it wasn't the type of place you would take anybody of the female persuasion to, even the type of female that is paid for by the hour or deed. The dirty stinking filthy hole in the wall was the type of place frequented by the lowest of the lowlife criminals, those who out and out really preferred to slit your throat before picking over whatever was in your pockets. It was the type of place where nothing fazed the inhabitants, where the cold blooded individuals of the night absolutely couldn't be caught off guard by anything new. Well, anything besides a dark cloaked figure walking through the doors absolutely dripping with blood, leaving red stained foot prints with every step and covered in bits of freshly mangled gore. Yep, that was something new.

The bar went absolutely silent as Harry, cloak covering his features in shadow, entered the bar. His silk cloak flapped behind him, pieces of it making a wet fwapping sound as the rips and tears in it swung against his wet body with his every movement. The blood seemed to trickle down his dragon hide pants and boots in rivulets, running off of his feet to make a squelching sound with each step he took. The black of his robes seemed to swallow the light as the deep red blood that had soaked into every inch of his shirt and cloak seemed to add a certain element of inevitable doom to his being. Every figure in the bar seemed to freeze in a question as to whether fight, or flee; none of the patrons wanting to call attention to them self by being the first one to move, as the figure passed them on the way to the bar.

Walking up to the bar and addressing the bartender, Harry growled out, "Where's the water closet?" Only to receive a wide-eyed stare and a pointed finger in what Harry guessed was the direction of the closest bathroom. Exiting the bar into the water closet, the sounds of the front room picked up again, creating a background sound to Harry cleaning himself off.

After several locking charms on the door, liberal amounts of the scourgifying charm were coupled with the outright vanishing of Harry's sliced cloak and shirt. Harry poured the blood out of his boots and down the toilet, not really knowing what part of the blood had come from his back versus that of the thug or beheaded hag. His almost mechanical actions of taking new robes and cloak out of his trunk hid his furious thoughts.

Harry was ticked off, not at the Hag and Thug, as they were just part of the diseased masses that Harry had to cull. No, Harry was ticked off at himself. How was he to purge humanity of its unnaturalness and bring nature into alignment if he kept traipsing about and acting by the seat of his pants? His abuser's in life didn't have a discernable plan, but Harry was convinced that they only survived because they followed along the guidelines of a system that provided protection for them. Harry realized that if he wanted to survive and destroy not only the freaks but also their system, then he really needed a plan. He had formed some rudimentary ideas and started some actions in alliance with the Goblins, but he didn't have an overarching plan. Splashing water in his face, Harry looked at his reflection in the cracked and dingy mirror that was the only accent on the walls of the pub's water closet. "Think Potter!" Harry said to his reflection, its glare shining back at him.

Taking a step back and a deep breath to settle his constitution, Harry donned his cloak, shrunk his trunk and pocketed it, and exited the bathroom; he needed to finish his purchases and find a place where he would be safe to rest, recuperate, and plan.

As the dark cloaked figure exited the water closet, no longer dripping of blood, the patron's of the bar once again froze. Silently, all of the eyes of the bar followed Harry as he exited the bar and walked back out into the night. The noise of the bar returned as Harry walked down the street, no creature or wizard daring to mess with the cloaked figure who seemed to radiate fury.

The rest of the trip through Knockturn Alley was relatively uneventful. Harry purchased some healing, blood replenishing, and burn pastes from a potions shop; also paying the extra for the vials of veritaserum, polyjuice, and several Draught's of Living Death which were slipped into his packages without any verbal acknowledgement. He stopped by a weapons shop to see if he wanted to purchase anything, but figured he would wait to see what, if any, weapons he liked from his family vaults.

Still stewing in his anger, Harry went about his errands with a silent fury that cut off any chance that a shop's proprietor would question his actions or presence in Knockturn Alley. It wasn't until he was leaving a dingy grocers shop, with enough raw meat and vegetables to feed him for a week, that a plan began to form.

There, on the threshold above the doorway exiting the grocers was the black family crest. Walking up and stopping in the doorway, Harry was able to read, "This establishment and the surrounding buildings are owned by the Most Ancient House of Black, Toujours Pur."

Thinking to himself for a second, Harry smiled slyly to himself before raising his right and left hands to chest level, the back of his left hand facing up. At Harry's thought the signet ring of his Lordship appeared on his left hand. Looking down and using the pointer finger of his right hand, he traced it slowly over the crest of the House of Black in first a clockwise movement, and then two circles in a counterclockwise motion, as shown to him in the memories of Scorpius Black. Harry disappeared in a flash, feeling as if a hook had grabbed him by his navel.

* * *

**AN: Well, there is the next chapter. Things are starting to heat up now, and it is only a short period of time for Harry to get everything ready before he has to balance Hogwarts with carrying out his coming plans for the rest of Great Britain and humanity. He knows he needs time to get his magic skills to the point where he can act on instinct, and he is still growing in power, but his enemies are mounting in number. I hope the readers see that the weight of the tasks before him will make him use every bit of it if he hopes to succeed. (And that is as close to a spoiler as I will get with you folks, I dislike spoilers*)**

**Anyway, thanks for dropping me reviews with comments and thoughts, they help inspire me. Constructive criticism is always welcome as I strive to get better and deliver a more captivating story. Blatant insults and flames that don't lend any benefit to the community really aren't sought after, and I really don't understand the people who take the time to leave them. Best wishes to you all.**


	12. Chapter 12: Taking Out The Trash

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Hello once again dear reader. Thank you to everybody who reviewed. I had a lot of questions about Harry and the last few chapters, and the only thing I have to say is… read the upcoming chapters. I leave unanswered questions in earlier chapters for a reason, the questions and the cliff hangers are part of the evil little barbs that I like to plant in your brain so that you want to come back for more. It's as simple as that… well, that and I'm trying to eventually brain-washing you into coming to the dark side, but you probably already figured that out. What can I say; the dark side has better cookies. *Shrug* Anyway, thanks for the reviews and comments, and now on with the story!**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 10: Taking Out The Trash**

"People love dogs. You can never go wrong adding a dog to the story."  
— Jim Butcher (White Night)

Harry landed in a dark and grimy main room, cushioning his landing with his preternatural grace and power; if not for that he was sure that he would have slid face first into a dingy wall or dust covered ottoman; he didn't like wizard transport methods. His examination of the room was suddenly interrupted by a flash of movement to his right, his only warning before a flying something came hurtling towards him screaming through the air.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! SNAP!

Without really looking, Harry's clawed hand shot out to his right, grabbing the neck of whatever midget was hurtling at him with a meat-cleaver, and then with a deft twist of the wrist, snapped its neck; silencing the ear piercing screech that it had been emitting. Looking to his right at what his arm was holding at shoulder height, Harry was a bit surprised to see a limp bedraggled house-elf, filthy and stinking, with an old rag for a loincloth. Hate issued from the creature's eyes as its broken neck, and Harry's grasp, stopped it from gaining a breath to issue curses at Harry. Harry was sure that it was cursing at him, as though the little beast couldn't really speak, Harry's lip reading was definitely telling him a tale of words that would peel the paint off of a vicar's walls. Harry stared at the creature for a few seconds, watching the light slowly dim from the house-elf's eyes until it grew totally still and limp in his grasp.

Dropping the dead house-elf from his hand, Harry turned to look around and complete his examination of the room that had been so rudely interrupted. The room was covered in dust and cobwebs. Harry could hear the distinctive sounds of skittering insects and things that enjoyed the darker corners flee from his presence.

"/Come brothers, I will not harm you without cause. Though I'm not sure if I am willing to share the entirety of this, my home with you, I will definitely find a place for you all./ Harry stated in the magic induced language of scent, skitters and chirps that the creepy crawlies would understand.

In reply, cockroaches crawled out from under the wardrobe, a spider spun its web and descended from the chandelier above, and several doxies fluttered out of the closed curtains to fly a circle around Harry. Raising his hand to face height, a Doxy landed on his hand, its black fur showing that it blended in well with the dust and stains that covered the walls of the dilapidated mansion. Raising the doxy to his shoulder, Harry gave the little creature a place to sit as he walked about the room, the heads of dead house-elves mounted along its ceiling and sleeping paintings cluttering its walls.

Stepping over the corpse of the dead house-elf and walking out into the entryway, Harry approached the family tapestry of the Most Ancient House of Black. Below the burn blasted image of Sirius Black, and connected by a dotted line back to Scorpius, was Harry's face and title, Harry Potter-Black. Apparently the tapestry's magic was too lazy to write out Harry's full title and house names, but who was Harry to blame it, for his full title was definitely a mouthful and would probably have taken up too much room on the tapestry.

"You! What are you doing in my house?" Screamed a painting to his left, "Identify yourself scoundrel!" The painting demanded.

Harry nonchalantly wandered over, the parade of creepy crawlies and fluttering doxies following in his wake. "Why Madam, I am your new Lord." Harry said with a bit of a sardonic smile.

"Impossible! You're no child of mine." The painting screeched "I shall have you thrown out immediately! Kreecher! Kreecher! I command you to expel this Miscreant from my house!" The painting yelled.

"You're calling your house-elf I assume?" Harry questioned with a quirky smile on his lips, "I'm sorry, but Kreecher is … indisposed. I will not be attacked in my own den." Harry finished.

"Impossible! The house magics would have stopped you! Filthy Mudblood! Scum, Dragon droppings! Get out of my house before I have the wards cast you out." The painting screamed, Harry seeing that the placard beneath the screaming women labeled her as Walburga Black. After a few minutes of Harry silently smiling at the painting, doxies flying about his head, the painting grew frustrated. "House! Throw this thief out!" the painting continued, stopping its ranting with a smirk on its face.

Nothing Happened.

Harry looked at the painting, looked around, and then smiled evilly at the painting. "It appears madam that the House recognizes me as its Lord and will not listen to you anymore." Harry stated with a smirk, "As for whom I may be, my name is Harry Potter, but for your purposes, you may call me Harry Potter-Black if you prefer." He said, with a false bow to the painting.

"Harry Potter? Harry Potter? How dare you take control of my house. I know who you are! Half-blood, blood traitor, son of a mudblood whore!" Walburga screamed in anger.

Harry was not amused. "/I am not amused./" Harry stated, "/Do something to keep her mouth busy, would you?/" Harry stated, addressing the little doxy seated on his shoulder.

With a wicked little high pitched chuckle, the little black doxy flittered off his shoulder to hover before the screaming painting, raised its little loin cloth, and let loose with a yellow stream right at the painting's mouth.

"AAAAaaaaaaaagghhhh" The painting of Walburga screamed, darting and dodging around the picture to dodge the doxy's stream. At one point it looked like the doxy was trying to write its name, but as all amusing things must come to an end, so did the doxy's bladder capacity.

Rearranging itself, the doxy again alighted on Harry's shoulder with a smirk on its face. Of course the fluid hadn't entered the actual magic of the painting and gotten to Walburga, but the point had been made as Walburga's screaming had stopped for a while as she caught her breath after running around her painting; apparently pureblood wizards weren't very athletic folk, even in death.

"/Thank you./" Harry said with a nod, which was answered with a nod by the doxy. Then turning towards the painting Harry addressed Walburga again. Raising his left fist towards the painting, he let his signet ring become visible. "Now then, see this here? I am your Lord, and you will treat me as such, with respect and a quiet tongue if nothing else. You will also treat those I bring into this house with respect, or I will figure out another manner with which to close your mouth, permanently." With that said, Harry flipped his hand over and showed her his hand full of wicked claws. "No magic in this house will stop me from shredding you, is that clear?" Harry said the last part with a growl.

The painting of Walburga looked at him with horror for a second, and then her mouth opened and closed for a few seconds without making a sound, finally, she bowed her head and averted her eyes and stated a simple, "Yes my Lord, I will do as you say."

"Good!" Harry said cheerily, "I hate having to repeat myself, and I find myself a bit fast tempered." With that said, Harry walked away from the now subservient painting and towards what he assumed was the kitchen, if his memories from Scorpius were anything to go by.

* * *

Pushing through the door to the kitchen, Harry noted that the dining area of 12 Grimmauld Place was as dirty and in need of repair as the other parts of the house. Pulling his phoenix wand from his holster, he went about the task of scourgifying the kitchen table, sink, and other surfaces. The refrigerator was thankfully without a boggart and Harry was able to quickly clean it and place his purchased food in its confines. Harry noted that though the phoenix wand felt somewhat good in his hand, it still wasn't the best choice for him. Yes it had been the best wand for him at Ollivander's, but it wasn't the all-round best wand for Harry.

Taking out a large chunk of steak for himself and a loaf of bread for his "family," he chucked the loaf onto the end of the table, and then sat down on an unbroken chair to eat his still raw meal. The doxy leaving his seat on Harry's shoulder to join the cockroaches, centipedes and other crawlies that went to take a bite out of Harry's gift of bread.

Slowly as he ate, he started to come up with an outline of a plan on how he was going to meet his goals.

"What do the wizards and humans rely upon in order to survive? What is the key to their success?" Harry said to himself, using sharp clawed nails as both steak knife and fork to skewer his raw bloody meat. Dipping his finger in the blood, he used it to start painting a diagram out on the freshly cleaned wooden table.

"Hmm, civilization or society at the top, but what is their society built upon?" He mumbled as his fingers traced out his thoughts with the blood from the steak. "Well, you have their tools, and the industry that lets them make more tools I guess, and I guess another would be their money or their system of economy… Hmmm." Harry postulated, drawing three lines from the word "society" with his claw until it connected with the words Tools, Industry, and Economy. Finishing off his steak, he went back to the refrigerator for another slab of meat; he could feel his body healing quickly, fully absorbing the meal in his belly and using it to erase any evidence of his "mistake" from earlier that evening.

Hitching his shoulders to work out the kinks, as the scar tissue of his slash wound was healed and erased, Harry grabbed out a new chunk of meat, unwrapped the bloody chunk, and thunked it back down on his plate. Harry resumed his seat and allowed his train of thought to continue as he ate. "If I don't take out their tools, then they will have the ability to destroy nature and rebuild any industry or economy that I destroyed, even if I cull them. If I don't take out there industry, they will be able to make more tools and earn more money to further their economy, and if I don't destroy their economy, they will be able to build more tools and further increase their industry… hmm, an interrelated mess!" Harry said with frustration, pounding his hand into the middle of his diagram creating a bloody handprint which obscured his outline of a plan.

"Bloody hell!" Harry yelled at the ceiling in frustration, his back finishing its healing as it was fueled by his meal. "I can't even watch my own back, how am I supposed to take out the wizards economy, industry, and current tools all at the same time!" He yelled. "Bloody fucking hell, if I destroy the wizards assets they will just grab them from the muggles, I'd have to destroy both of their societies at the same bloody time to have any hope of success!" He shouted, ranting as he kicked back from his chair and sent his fist crashing through the table in front of him; the other end of the table lifting off the floor a foot and sending his little brethren scurrying about the room with their captured bits of bread.

And then it hit him what he'd just said, and it was the key to Harry's problems. Harry knew what he needed to do; at least the main goal. Harry realized that he had to destroy the wizards' society, the muggles', everything they survived on, and all at the same time. However there was no way that he could do it on his own, and the first thing Harry needed was somebody to watch his back.

Swallowing his last handful of meat, Harry concentrated on flicking a Repairo at the table, dusted off his hands and walked through the kitchen doors towards the front of the house, his cloak fluttering behind him due to his fast pace. Stopping in front of the tapestry, Harry noted the two family members who had been burnt off of the family tree, one Andromeda Tonks, formerly nee' Black, and one Sirius Black.

"Well, there's no time like the present I guess." Harry said with maniacal glee and an evil grin on his face, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Swirling his cloak back so it covered his torso, he raised the hood to cover his features, and apparated away with a *Pop*.

* * *

Bigsby Dufflepuck and Howard Fluffnutter had been the guards and ferrymen for the island, and prison, of Azkaban for going on 22 years, and their job was always the same. Listen to the wizarding wireless, read the post, escort some despondent criminal to the island and make sure that they didn't try and kill themselves by jumping out to the boat. A spot of tea here, a little nap there, more rowing the boat, and it never changed rain, shine, snow, night or day for 22 years. They spent their days and nights in their little hut on the end of the quay on the mainland side of the water, and it was the same monotony all of the time; just the way they liked it.

It was a cool evening, as it is oft to do in the northern part of Great Britain when the sun goes down in July, a bit humid, but comfortable. Their little hut was built out on the far end of the pier, held out over the water by the stilts and girders that housed the ferry's boat house and held up the pier. The two men were sitting inside, listening to the wireless, eating a bit of food.

*Snarf* Bigsby took a big bite of his liver and onions sandwich, chewed, swallowed and then slowly turned to Howard, "What do you want to do tonight Howard?" Bigsby asked.

Howard turned to Bigsby and replied, "The same thing we do every night Bigsby, try to…" Only to be interrupted midsentence as the structure around the two men disintegrated!

KAAAAA-WWWWWHOOOOOOOSSSHHHHH! A waterspout the size of a quidditch field shot out of the ocean like a giant fist, totally obliterating any scrap of the building, dock, ferry, and two men housed inside. The water then quickly receded back into the ocean with a giant SPLASH! As bits and pieces of wood and other tiny bits of debris fluttered down out of the air, only to land and float out to sea on the silently lapping waves.

Out of the darkness and into the scant moonlight that was reflecting off the waves walked a dark figure with a cloak covering its features. "First line of defense down." Harry's voice issued out with glee from under the hood. "Now on to the part that my other self isn't going to like very much."

With that, Harry and his robed figure disappeared, only to be replaced by a giant crouching Nundu that was of an abnormally large size and probably could have only played hide-and-seek if it had a rather large house to hide behind. Launching itself off of the edge of the embankment in a giant leap, the large cat used its powerful form to quickly paddle its way towards the other side of the water and the awaiting prison.

The Nundu pulled itself out of the water and onto the grey stony beach of the Isle of Azkaban, the prison rising through the mist in the distance. Cat's do not like to be bathed, period. The description of a "wet cat" might have fit Harry's image at that moment, but somebody would have been terribly stupid to call him that at the moment, for he was not a happy Nundu. His lack of amusement pretty much set the proper mood for the task at hand though, so he set himself in a quick and silent lope towards the prison; keeping as low as a huge Nundu could so that the mist would obscure the view of him as much as possible.

* * *

The fortress of Azkaban was a mighty building of stone and mortar that stretched multiple levels into the sky, with wards that sapped magic and guards that drained the will to live from its prisoners. That was its purpose, to keep prisoners in and in a weakened state. The barracks of the Auror guards were on the inside lower levels of the building. The Dementor guards patrolled the upper floors on the inside; and even the last guards between a prisoner and freedom were on the inside; two floating Dementor guards stationed on the inside of the massive doors to the prison. This was a prison meant to keep its prisoners in, and none of them had ever escaped. All of this was fine by Harry, as he wasn't trying to escape out of Azkaban; he was just trying to get in so he could kill everything in his path.

BOOOOM! The two massive doors swung open, bursting the lock, pinning and smashing the two Dementor guards into the walls on either side of the threshold. Sure, there was no known way for a wizard to "destroy" a Dementor when they were faced with the fear induced miasma that a Dementor created. On the other hand, there was nothing saying that bone, cloaks, and ancient sinew was much of a defense against being smashed into tiny little bits. Sure the Dementor would still exist, but that didn't mean it would function very well.

The mist from outside the fortress swirled around Harry's form as he stepped through the shattered doors, dripping water from his impromptu bath and still ticked off. An alarm klaxon sounded and doors on the back of the main hall slammed open as the Aurors poured out of their barracks to do battle, only to be met with a giant green cloud of death.

Harry wasn't going to hold back this time. He knew he couldn't take chances with an unknown amount of trained wizards coming at him, so as he walked through the front doors he inhaled a deep breath, only to exhale right into the oncoming rush of Aurors and into the barracks behind them. In the confined area, it was an absolute slaughter.

Eyeballs burst, blood flowed from huge pustules that couldn't contain fluids, skin flaked off, pressure on the brain made ears bleed and men scream, hearts beating too fast exploded or seized, and rapid acting leprosy saw several Aurors literally fall to pieces. Through all the death in front of him, Harry kept exhaling. It is amazing how much noxious fumes, pestilence and plague can be exhaled from a Nundu who takes up an entire single story of a building. All around him the death continued unabated, until nothing besides Harry moved before him.

Harry finally stopped his exhalation and stood up to review the damage, the view in the first and basement levels of the Tower of Azkaban were filtered through a green haze of disease. Nothing moved, as Harry had effectively killed off the population of human guards and most likely all of prisoners housed in the bottom most levels of the prison. The memories of Scorpius filtered through his brain, not much was known about the housing situation of the prisoners, but it was known that the human guards rarely attended to the highest security prisoners on the top floors; the floors that were patrolled solely by the Dementors. Harry's diseased breath would be heavier than air, so it would seek out the lowest reaches of the prisons as it drifted through the rooms around him.

Crunching and squishing his way into the room, the weight of his body causing the deceased corpses to ooze between the pads of his feet, Harry noticed the air start to grow colder, the bits of water that were on his spotted coat started to freeze, he knew that the Dementors were coming.

Dementors are an incredibly fear inspiring creature, able to suck out souls. However, that is all that they are, an incredible fear inspiring creature. What most don't know about animals and Dementors is that Dementors main weapon, fear, is incredibly ineffective against the animal mind. Most animals don't understand the complexities of "fear"; their memories aren't distinctive enough to be pulled up in a loop of never ending fear and anguish. Sure animals understand such thoughts as enemy and pain, and they can even have an adrenaline rush that simulates the same physiological response as "fear." However, their animal instincts keep them to a more basic level of fight or flight, kill or run, never rising to the level of the human defined fear. An animagus would still be affected to a greater extent by the Dementor inspired fear, because their mind is still largely that of a wizard; the animal instincts only a shield that might keep them from going insane but still allowing them to relive their worst memories. This is different than what Harry was, Harry wasn't a measly little animagus, Harry was joined to the spirit of the Nundu. Harry was a Nundu. At that moment the only thing going through Harry's proud Nundu mind was, "Why should I be afraid, for Nundu's fear nothing."

A wave of a hundred Dementors poured into the room, swirling in frenzy as they tried to deflect the attackers advance. Their bony bodies and cloak covered husks were playthings for Harry's claws and paws.

Jumping into the air, paws flashing like he was punching a high-speed boxer's bag, Harry was like a housecat swatting butterflies trapped in a box.

Swat! Swat! Swat! Swat! Swat!... Every bat of a paw slicing through cloaks and crunching Dementors into the ground, walls, or ceiling; the cold of the Dementors' presence not filtering through Harry's thick fur, only frosting over the moisture left over from his swim. "Screw, the Patronus." Harry thought to himself, "I'll stick with blunt force trauma." He said, lashing out with his back paws to crush two Dementors into the wall who were attempted to flee out of the shattered doors.

A couple of more swats later, the bodies of the dead Aurors were now joined by the crumpled heaps of twitching Dementors. Sure they were still functioning, they may even be able to put themselves back together again, but Harry would be finished with his work by then.

**{Time to Hunt} **Harry said with a growl to himself, slinking down the halls of the prison to start his work at the bottom. The screams of the prisoners started up a few seconds later. Like rats trapped in their cages, the owner was not home to stop the cat from feasting.

* * *

Sirius Black shivered in his cold prison cell, hiding behind his bed and curled up in the corner with his four feet underneath him, the Dementor induced haze of fear long gone, but a new type of fear still very much present. His prison cell was at the end of a hall with a window that allowed the cold ocean breezes to blow into his cell any time, night or day. He was on the hall with the most feared death eaters, but as the "Betrayer of the Potters" he was "given" the cell right in front of the Dementor Guard's patrol station; a Dementor always stood outside his door for the last 11 years of his sentence. That guard was always there, up until about 5 minutes ago. It had been a welcome and unexpected respite, but then the screaming started. Sirius could hear it issuing up from the halls, and hear it screeching on the wind that whipped into his cell, and he was afraid. And so he tucked his malnourished dog body into the back corner, and did the only thing he could, wait.

"The Dark Lord Comes! He's coming for us! His most loyal servants!" Screeched his cousin Bellatrix from down the hall, ending in an insane cackle that absolutely wouldn't stop. It was like nails on a chalkboard to him.

He growled and whined to himself, Sirius wished her husband or her brother-in-law would do something to shut her up, but they were locked up in cells across and down the hall from her, so were slated to suffer the same as Sirius. Sirius really hoped it wasn't Voldemort, he didn't have a death wish. Though he still blamed himself for the death of James and Lily, he knew he wasn't a traitor. He had a lot to live for! Ok, that was a lie, he had two things to live for: to take care of Harry Potter, and to kill Peter Pettigrew… ok, maybe three things, he needed to prank the world for putting him in this hell hole.

Suddenly Bellatrix's cackles stopped and turned into screaming! The scream continued in a blood curdling crescendo, followed by the sound of cracking boards, crumpling iron, and then a growl and a crunching of bones and a splashing of blood that echoed down the hall. The hall was silent for a second, but then the Lestrange brother's and other death eaters picked up the same pattern of noises that Bellatrix had just made, and then silence. "Nope, definitely not the Dark Lord," Sirius thought as he wet himself.

Suddenly, at the doorway, Sirius saw a huge nose block out the moonlight that filtered through the bars in the door.

SNIIIIIIIFFFFFFF, Sniff, sniff sniff. Growl…

Went the huge twitching nostrils, until they disappeared from view. Only for the door to be blasted off its hinges with a bang, and a huge head and shoulders to squeeze its way into Sirius's cell.

"Shit! That's it, game over." Was all Sirius could think, as the head got closer to him, blood dripping from its maw, claws scraping on the stone floor, and great green saucers of eyes staring down at him. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the mouth opening to swallow him, and then he knew no more.

* * *

**AN: Yep, I'm going to leave it there and let you all suffer. Have fun! Hey, this evil thing is kind of fun… I should do this more often. :-) **


	13. Chapter 13: Answers and Introductions

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Well, are you ready for some answers? I know I've left a lot of questions lying on the table after the last chapter, but a lot should be explained in this chapter. I'm going to be picking up the pace of time a bit now that the foundation of the story has been thoroughly laid; I want to get to Hogwarts ASAP. So here we go!**

**AN: Easter egg hunt in last chapter. For those of you interested, I thought I would let you do a scavenger hunt and see if you can find two things that I put in the last chapter: 1. A part where I make fun of myself as the author; and, 2. I inserted an adapted part from an American television cartoon to play a role in the last chapter. Basically every chapter I write I try and give myself challenges that stretch my ability as a writer, and the last chapter I decided to insert those two. Send me a PM with your answers if you want to. Cheers! **

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 10: Answers and Introductions**

"Evil isn't the real threat to the world. Stupid is just as destructive as Evil, maybe more so, and it's a hell of a lot more common. What we really need is a crusade against Stupid. That might actually make a difference."  
— Jim Butcher (Publicity and Advertising)

Sirius Black woke up to the feeling of sheets and a real bed for the first time in ten years. Being extra cautious after ten years of prison living (a guy learns to 'watch his back' in prison) Sirius tried to sense where he was.

Wiggle wiggle, twitch twitch, "Yep, my toes and fingers are still here." Sirius thought to himself, "Where ever here is." Continuing to take in the senses around him, he could distinctly hear something breathing very loudly in the room.

"Shit! The cat! It probably took me home as a "doggy bag!" He thought in fright, the speed of his heart picking up.

Sniffff, "Yep, wet cat. Bloody hell!" Sirius stated, using his animagus adapted sense of smell to confirm that the Nundu was still somewhere about.

Opening one eye a crack, Sirius used it to look around the room. Print paisley wallpaper covered the walls, and antique furniture that was definitely more for looks than comfort sat in the corner; all of it slightly illuminated by light filtering through the pulled curtains and shades in the large bedroom's window. And there, in between him and the door to his escape was a giant Nundu, larger than anything he had ever seen! "Ok, not larger than anything I've ever seen, I've seen that Nundu before, right after it busted into my cell after killing the other prisoners." Sirius thought, catching a glimpse of the Nundu who was awake and licking its paws clean.

"Ok, I'll only have one chance at this," Sirius thought to himself, "the door is blocked, so it's got to be the window… ok, on three." He thought as he tensed his muscles and got ready to move.

"One, two, Three!" Sirius thought, yelling the last one out loud as he rolled off the bed and made a dive for the window.

Bam, Boooinnng! Zing! "AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Sirius hit the window with a bang, only to realize that somebody had charmed it to act like rubber, effectively stretching like a rubber-band, only to shoot him zinging back into the room with a scream.

Sirius flew over the bed and tumbled head over heels across the floor of the room, only to come to a stop upside down against something very hard, and very furry.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Sirius looked up from his upside-down position to see the toothy growl of the Nundu right over him.

Quickly crab walking away at speeds he didn't know he could do, Sirius rolled back and crawled until his back hit the corner of the bed, the Nundu crawling towards him, teeth barred and growling.

"GRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"Um, nice kitty… um, nice Nundu? Um, nice kind vegetarian Nundu?" Sirius whined plaintively as the cat crept closer to him. Just as the cat seemed to spring at him, Sirius screamed like a little girl and threw his arms up to protect his face "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Only to get a Giant lick from a tongue like industrial grade sandpaper from his chest to the top of his hair, effectively covering him in slobber and mussing half of the hair on his head to stand up like a mohawk.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA! You should have seen your face Sirius! God! That, and wetting yourself the first time you saw me! HA HA HA HA HA!" Sirius heard, uncovering his eyes slowly and seeing a young man rolling on the floor laughing.

Stunned for a second, Sirius asked questioningly "Um, Do I know you?" Trying to stay polite to the kid who could apparently turn into a Nundu.

"What, don't you recognize your godson Pad'foo?" Quirked Harry, sitting up from his rolling around on the floor and smiling at Sirius with that goofy Potter grin, Lily's eyes shining above his smiling face.

"Harry? You're Harry! Oh Pup I've missed you!" Sirius said, at first shocked and then overcome with emotion, he crawled across the floor and gave Harry a big hug, holding onto his godson for all his worth.

"Um, Sirius, What are you doing?" Harry asked questioningly.

"I'm hugging you." Sirius said in surprise.

"Oh, is that what a hug feels like. Hmm, not to bad." Harry said without much emotion.

Thrusting Harry back out to arm's length so he could look down at Harry's shorter person, "What do you mean 'That's what a hug feels like,' Why don't you know what a hug feels like?" Sirius asked, a sense of horror starting to creep into his mind at that innocent comment.

"Um, because I haven't had one since I was a baby and my parents were alive." Harry said with an unemotional shrug. "Didn't really know I was missing out on anything. Most of the time when somebody touched me it was only to hurt me." Harry continued, looking up at his godfather.

Sirius looked down at Harry in open shock and horror, "Oh my god! What happened to you? Who raised you?" Sirius said, jumping up to start pacing about the room, until it hit him, "Wait a second! Where are we? You broke me out of Jail! You killed all of those people!" Sirius said, looking around in horror, not knowing what to do.

"Um, Sirius." Harry stated, only to get interrupted by Sirius who was starting to rant and rave, "Dear God, what have I done! I've turned my Godson into a wanted felon!" He paced, wide eyed.

"Ah, Sirius, stop for a second." Harry said, trying to interrupt his godfather who was now pacing all around the room.

Sirius, throwing his hands up to punctuate his thoughts, occasionally pulling on his hair continued to rant, "Dear god, I've turned you into a murderer! You will never be able to go to school! Never go to Hogwarts!" He continued,

"Um, Sirius, stop would you." Harry got up, and took a step forward.

"We will have to go on the lamb." Sirius stated, making extravagant plans, "I can see if we can sneak money out of my vaults…" He continued rambling on, not really paying attention to his godson's interruptions.

"Sirius"

"We can head to Albania, they will take us in as it's a dark wizard country, the House of Black has a house there we can hide out in." He continued.

Harry was starting to get frustrated tried one more time, "Sirius, seriously, stop."

Sirius, not even breaking to do his patented joke, continued to rant, "What were you thinking?" Sirius turned to focus on Harry, "You've thrown your life away to save me!" He yelled in anguish, only to be interrupted by Harry Potter blitzing him and slamming him up against the wall, holding Sirius up in the air.

"Sirius! Stop all ready. They don't know you escaped! They don't know I killed anybody! They think you are bloody well dead you idiot!" Harry yelled in Sirius's face, still holding his Godfather up in the air against the wall.

Shutting up, but now staring wide eyed down at his godson and his explanation, Sirius asked, "Why? Why did you save me? Why don't you know what a hug feels like, and why did you kill all the prisoners?"

"Why?" Harry asked with a sardonic smile, "I'll tell you why! No, better yet, I'll show you!" Harry said, and looking up into his godfather's eyes, he opened up the vault that held every bad memory, every experience, his whole life at the Dursleys and since he had escaped from them, those deranged and sickly animals that were housed in his secret valley in the mountain of his mind, and he cast a simple spell.

"Legilimens!"

* * *

Sirius's mind was assaulted with images and experiences.

Beatings, whippings, strangling, broken bones, stab and cut wounds, starvation, burns, chains and dog collars, animal attacks and more attacks by Harry's relatives and bullies than Sirius could count. He saw teachers and authority figures who turned away from him and treated him like a miscreant when it was obvious that his cousin stole his homework or was the bully; even authority figures who used their position of authority to punish Harry because they knew they could get away with it and it gave them some sick sense of fulfillment. Police officers who looked at him like a criminal and lent no aid, even when he was lying almost unconscious on the ground, and a wizard who had attempted to bind his power, obliviate the authorities to look the other way when it came to Harry and his relatives; all supposedly for Harry's protection.

Sirius saw that Harry was treated like an animal, molded to be a beast of labor and treated like a kicked dog, a dog that eventual bit back. More so, Sirius saw Harry's training and adaptation, he saw some of his interactions with Mutwa, and the talk with spirits of Lily and James.

Dear god, what had he done! Lily and James talked about the betrayal by Peter and by Dumbledore, and Sirius knew that he had trusted Dumbledore to take care of Harry. Sirius had trusted Dumbledore, and Dumbledore had cast Sirius away into the hell that was Azkaban without a trial when it was in his right, power and mandate to do so. And the Prophesy, some damn prophesy from a quack pot fake seer, and Dumbledore and Voldemort believed it!

Betrayal, they all betrayed Harry, both the muggle and the wizarding communities. The muggles by both their individual actions and inactions, and the Wizards in their both individual and community inaction and Dumbledore's actions; celebrating Harry's saving them while he was being starved and beaten, all the while profiting off of Harry's image and story. The wizarding world enjoying the peace and prosperity that Harry gave them, all the while their precious boy-who-live was being treated worse than a beaten house-elf.

Sirius came out of his memories and threw up, barely missing Harry.

* * *

A couple hours later saw Harry and Sirius sitting down at the table in the kitchen of the house with glasses of water; Harry had shown Sirius some of his elemental powers and pulled the water from the air to fill some of the glasses found in the pantry. The two sat at the kitchen table, pictures of two fat whales and a skinny horse of a woman decorating the walls, a thin veneer of dust laying on frames and all of the flat surfaces of the house.

The two of them had talked, filling in the blanks on their lives up till that point, Sirius mostly asking questions to try and get to know the Godson who he felt he had betrayed and abandoned on his personal quest for revenge, some ten years ago. Both of them had a lot in common, and they could understand the ravages of hell that the other had been through. Finally, a lull in the conversation allowed Sirius to sit back in his chair and look at Harry to ask a few deeper questions.

"Why here?" Sirius asked, "Why take me to this place to get better?" he questioned.

"This is where it all began for me, this is the why. What better place to explain it to you." Harry answered with a shrug, looking down into his water, strangely mature for what should have been an eleven year old. Looking up from his glass he focused on Sirius and continued, "You've been unconscious for a week, and I've been feeding you potions the whole time to try and bring you back to strength; cost me a fortune, but your sitting here is proof that it worked. I didn't know how you would feel about waking up at the place where I am staying, and I didn't know if I could trust you." Harry stated nonchalantly; the last comment causing Sirius to wince at the sting of the truth.

Sirius looked at Harry for a second, and then turned his head to the right. Through the doorway of the kitchen he could see the cupboard under the stairs, a couple latches and padlocks still attached to it, a cat-flap at the bottom, and police tape cordoning off the space. Thinking for a second, Sirus realized that he couldn't betray Harry again. He had to be there for Harry no matter what, and he wanted, no NEEDED Harry to trust him. Harry was the last bit of his life that he had.

Looking up at Harry, Sirius solemnly stated, "You can trust me Harry, I'll never betray you again, and I'll support you, no matter what." He continued, moisture gathering in his eyes as the memories of what Harry went through flew past his mind's eye.

"Really?" Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Fine, then swear it." He stated, pulling the thug's wand out of the back pocket of his dragon hide pants and rolling it across the table to Sirius. "If you really mean it, give me an unbreakable oath, because I don't know if I would survive being betrayed again by somebody I allow myself to care for. Swear you will be there for me, swear you won't betray me, and swear that you will help me fulfill my goals." Harry stated, his eyes unblinkingly looking into Sirius's.

Sirius picked up the wand, looked at it for a second and noticing a bit of a bloodstain on its handle. He looked up at Harry, and then looking Harry in the eyes he held the wand up and said, "I Sirius Black, do solemnly swear on my magic and my life to never betray Harry Potter, to always be there for him when he asks it of me, and to help fulfill his goals. So Mote it Be." A flash of magic shown in the room, stirring both Sirius and Harry's hair.

Harry looked at Sirius for a second, and then a smile crept across his face. Jumping out of his seat, he put a hand around Sirius's shoulder in a manly sort of one armed awkward hug. "Thanks Sirius, now let's get out of this hell hole and go back to my pigsty." Harry said with a smirk.

With a *POP* both disappeared, leaving two empty glasses behind, and an empty house in a normal little neighborhood.

* * *

**A week earlier, the morning of August 1****st****…**

The Hogwarts staff were enjoying a nice breakfast in the Great Hall, enjoying the quiet and going about their normal summertime activities. Sprout was eating a plate of eggs while concentrating on separating seeds and buds from the leaves of a five leafed plant. McGonagall was eating her breakfast in a mechanical action, a rather sever look on her face which was somewhat disturbed by her left eye twitching every now and then, it was hard going cold turkey from the catnip; a Snowy owl with a letter on its leg sat on the back of her chair, still waiting for her attention. Flitwik was perusing an interesting charms tome, "Charms and Their Effect on Fermentation," from his "raised seat", aka highchair. Severus Snape just sat there, ignoring the rest of the staff while he rushed through his meal so that he could get back to his no doubt fuming potions currently locked away in his dank and unventilated dungeon, and Albus Dumbledore worked on writing his speech for the upcoming welcoming feast.

"Hmmm, Nitwit, Falderal, and Sausage? No, that doesn't work." Dumbledore said to himself as he scratched out the words and started again, pausing to take a bite of his fry-up. "The first word sounds right, but the next two just don't set the proper tone for the rest of the school year, Hmmmm." He thought to himself as he nibbled on the nib of his quill, not noticing that the ink on it was turning his tongue black.

Breakfast was interrupted a moment later by two things. First, the post arrived, dropping a paper in Albus's lap. Second, a Lynx Patronus passed through the main doors of the Great Hall and ran up to the staff table, only to announce, in Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice, that Azkaban had been attacked and that they needed Albus to floo the warden's office.

Shocked and dismayed, and absolutely taken off guard, the staff dropped what they were doing. Albus leapt to his feet, hitched up his robes, and ran out of the hall; a great deal spritelier then a man of his age should have been able to.

Entering the Headmaster's office, Albus grabbed a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fire, "Azkaban Warden's office!" He yelled. Immediately placing his head into the fire, he was able to see into the warden's office, noticing Mad-eye Moody and Shacklebolt standing together over what looked to be a diseased corpse.

"What happened? Did the prisoners escape? Did we lose anyone?" Albus quickly questioned in agitation.

Mad-eye turned towards the fire and leaned his head over it, the obvious bubble of a bubble-headed charm over his face. "Nasty business Albus, we've lost them all." He stated, eye spinning around to look through the walls and towards the wall behind him.

"All? All of the prisoners have escaped?" Albus asked in shock.

"No, Their all dead, every last bleeding one of them. The prisoners, the guards, even the Dementors; though they seem to be putting themselves back together again." Mad-Eye stated in his normally gruff voice. "Nasty business this, you best come through Albus." He continued, stepping out of the way.

A moment later Albus popped out of the floo, waltzing into the room and immediately casting a bubble-head charm on himself due to the stench of dead and decomposing bodies that permeated the air. Walking over towards the Warden's desk, Albus was able to see a desiccated husk of what must have at one time been the warden. Looking up at the two men, Albus asked, "What happened?"

Moody nodded to Kingsley, and he stepped forward to explain what they had figured out so far. "As far as what we can tell, some wizard used some sort of explosive or blunt force object to take out the front doors, perhaps something with the strength of a troll, this is also suggested by the blunt force injuries to the Dementors which left them nothing more than twitching broken heaps." Grimly, Shacklebolt led Dumbledore and Moody out into the Aurors' barracks and then out into the main hall, stepping over the corpses of the Aurors that looked to have been eaten away from the inside.

Standing in the main hall, Kingsley continued, "It looks like somebody released some sort of disease or pestilence into the main hall after blowing the doors, the only idea we have that fits the signs is Nundu breath, but we have no idea how they were able to acquire so much of it or what type of container they used to get it to flood the first level and sub-basement with the breath." Kingsley stated, using his wand to point out where different Aurors had died from different types of diseases; the leprosy and magical Ebola being the most telling appearances of disease. "We've ruled out an actual Nundu as it is impossible to control one, let alone the pride of them that it would have taken to make this much breath, and the surprising thing is that there is no magical signature anywhere in the attack. The Aurors didn't even get a spell off before they were killed."

Horrified, Albus tried to keep his breakfast down; vomiting inside of a bubblehead charm was not suggested. Choking back his bile, he turned to Moody, "what about the prisoners?"

"Like I said, Dead. Blood and limbs strewn about in every cell, not a one of them missed." We have a couple of huge bloody paw prints, but we don't have a clue what it could be." Moody stated, then leaned forward towards Dumbledore and Kingsley, "I suspect engorgement charms on a lion or werewolf. Dark wizards are behind this, mark my word on it!" He hissed, looking around to make sure that their conversation wasn't overheard by the other Aurors who were examining the scene.

"Merlin! What are we to do!" A voice shouted from the front door. Albus, Moody and Kingsley turned in time to see Minister Fudge pull himself through the splintered doorway to step over the heaps of crushed Dementors cluttering the entry. Noticing Dumbledore, he hurried into the room toward the three men, watching his step so that he didn't soil his shoes with blood; a task that was impossible given the condition of the room.

"Minister, we must notify the public about this catastrophe." Dumbledore stated to the minister "It appears that a band of dark wizards is roaming about and released beasts into the prison to kill all of the prisoners. The public must be warned of this so that they can be prepared." Dumbledore pleaded.

"Absolutely not!" Minister Fudge squeaked. "It's an election year, and the children will be going back to Hogwarts soon, no reason to scare the public during one of our biggest shopping seasons, what with it only being a onetime attack. Besides they were all prisoners, so we know they are guilty criminals. They probably look at it as a blessing to be away from the Dementors" Fudge said, shuffling away from a twitching Dementor.

"Minister!" Dumbledore stated, only to be interrupted by Cornelius, "Tut tut, Dumbledore, I've made my decision and the Ministry will stand by it. The prison will stay closed for now and open again when we can get some Aurors moved around and the Dementors back into one piece." The Minister turned and walked out the door, holding a handkerchief over his nose to keep out the stench.

"Bad news Dumbledore," Moody stated after the Minister had left, "Nothing good can come of this, even if he keeps it quiet, the public will learn that fifty Aurors are missing. He's not going to be able to keep this quiet forever." Mad-eye pointed out as they proceeded back towards the Warden's office and the floo. "Mark my words gentlemen; this is the mark of dark wizards. Not since Voldemort have trolls and other dark creatures worked together to cause so much death." With that, Moody disappeared into the floo; no doubt to travel through half a dozen or more locations before finally reaching his end destination.

Kingsley nodded to Dumbledore before also disappearing into the floo, only to be followed by Dumbledore a second later as Dumbledore returned to his office at Hogwarts.

As Dumbledore arrived back at his office and proceeded behind his desk, he sat down and plucked a lemon drop from his dish to help him think; that and to get the vile taste of death out of his mouth. Besides how the attack on the prison affected his plans for dealing with Voldemort, the same thought kept circulating through his brain, "How are they supposed to have a second chance if they are all dead? Hundreds of wizards, purebloods even, dead, without a second chance."

Albus would spend the rest of the day oblivious to the rest of the world, trapped in his thoughts, totally unaware of a letter that Deputy Headmistress McGonagall had opened that morning.

* * *

Life with Sirius had taken on a certain sort of normality after a few weeks at the House of Black; well, normal is an objective word. At first both Harry and Sirius had been feeling each other out. Neither one had been used to somebody really caring for them nor showing any form of affection to them, so their interaction with each other was a little strained at first. However this impasse was quickly hurdled by the institution of a prank war.

For some reason Sirius thought it would be funny to wake Harry up by jumping onto Harry's bed while in his "Snuffles De'Grim" form, wet from the bath, and shaking water and licking Harry all over his face. Even though Harry, due to his hybridized form, only slept an average of four hours a night, he apparently wasn't a "morning" person, as shown by him causing the water on Sirius's wet doggy body to freeze solid, turning Sirius into a "Grim-sicle" and causing serious shrinkage in Sirius's "boys."

The next day had Harry showing Sirius that he wasn't a poor sport when Harry hacked up a wet Nundu hairball the size of a small child onto Sirius's sleeping face, effectively knocking the air out of Sirius but bringing him fully awake. The rest of the week proceeded with prank and counter prank, often punctuated every now and then by a purple Nundu with boxing-mitts strapped to its feet sliding down a hallway chasing a skidding smurf blue Grim with socks tied around its claws. After all the damage from the pranks and repair charms from smashing through the furniture and walls, the creepy crawlies were more than willing to be relegated to the basement, dungeon, and attic of the property, leaving the two "children" to their fun and games in the main part of the house.

Slowly, the main part of house took on a semblance of being lived in. Both of its main inhabitants did not really care to clean all that much, due to the conditions they were used to living in, but the house eventually took a turn towards repaired and clean if for no other reason then there were that many pranks gone crazy that needed to be cleaned up after. Even Walburga's frame got a good cleaning after Sirius "accidentally" hit her with a water balloon filled with ketchup.

Harry wouldn't call the conversations between Sirius and the painting of his mother "friendly" or "loving," but he would say that they were civil; it had taken the showing of a claw and the unzipping of a fly, but she got the message. Furthermore, the paternal powers of the Lord of the Most Ancient House of Black were formidable. The journals in the library told Harry that he could pretty much order any subordinate Black to do anything he wanted, especially the women; as evidenced by Walburga marrying her second cousin, on command, for purposes of keeping the families bloodlines "pure". This apparently extended to controlling former members of the Black family, even those cast out or those married off under contract; not that Bellatrix really needed to worry about that any more, what with her being dead.

Speaking of the dead Lestranges, Harry had again been the fortuitous beneficiary of the Rule of Devourement. With both of the Lestrange brothers being killed, and Bella previously being married off under a contract that stated all assets and privileges of the Lestrange estates would escheat to the House of Black on the off-chance that they all died without an Heir, Harry made a killing.

Ok, so Harry didn't kill anybody again, but he did make a good sized fortune, found a cup with Voldemort's soul in it and allowed Sirius to have fun urinating in it, after which Harry again polished the jewelry with his venom; killing the soul fragment and making Hufflepuff's cup shine like new. Harry and Sirius both agreed though that even if the cup looked shiny and nice, neither of them was going to drink out of it after Voldemort and Sirius had "used" it.

To get to Gringotts to deal with the Lestranges, and other family matters that Sirius helped Harry plan out, Sirius had partaken of the polyjuice potion that Harry had purchase. The ability for Sirius to appear in person but still remain "dead" was helpful and humorous, as it allowed both Harry and Sirius not only deal with "family matters" but also to watch the Minister and his toad like Undersecretary blow a figurative gasket. Both Sirius and Harry had to stifle their laughter while watching the response of the Goblins when the Minister attempted to seize the fortunes of the deceased Houses of Lestrange and Black and was told ever so politely by the Goblins to "go to Hell" in a manner that left the two government employees looking forward to the trip. Sirius mentioned that it was a Patronus worthy image when the Minister almost blew a blood vessel swallowing his tongue upon the Goblin politely asking if Gringotts should notify the public that the Minister was seeking to seize the assets of a thriving pureblood Ancient House with a very alive and kicking Lord.

However, visits to Gringotts were not the sole extent of Harry and Sirius's outdoors adventures. Polyjuice is a wonderful thing, and it allowed Harry and Sirius to go out to eat at resturants, and their animagus/Nundu forms allowed them to enjoy such things as hunting rabbits together; something Sirius had always wanted to do with the Marauders, but something that both Prongs and Wormtail were loath to do, what with one being a vegetarian and the other a rat-bastard. Sirius had missed the great outdoors due to the many years of his confinement, and Harry had decided that he would keep up his exercise routine and continue to hunt for most of his dietary needs in the forests around Great Britain. During the daytime the two of them would slink through the few dark or magical forests of Great Britain, hunting or playing. At night, or when Sirius was too tired, Harry would do his swim across the Channel or run through the woods by himself.

So it was that Harry was taking a solitary run through the woods in Devon county, hunting Roe deer, that he smelled a familiar scent of a bit of Africa mixed with something completely intoxicating.

* * *

Luna Lovegood was crying, her one and only friend Ginny Weasley had told her that she wasn't her friend anymore because Luna's Family was weird. Luna, being the smart girl that she was, realized that the words spewing from Ginny's mouth were probably parroted from that of Ginny's mother Molly Weasley, but they still cut her to the quick. Ginny had drilled it into Luna that Luna wasn't supposed to talk to Ginny anymore because Ginny was going to marry Harry Potter some day and Harry Potter wouldn't want to be around a weird little girl like Luna. To further sever any chance of the relationship ever being fix, Ginny had told Luna that she didn't know why she had ever been Luna's friend in the first place, except that maybe she was bored and that Luna was the only other girl Ginny's age that lived in the area. With that, Ginny had left, leaving Luna to pick the herbs that seasoned her and her father's stew by herself.

Luna sang a little song to herself, something that he mother had sang to her a long time ago before she had died. It was one of the ways that Luna tried to remember her mother, singing her song as she followed the directions in the song to pick the magical and muggle herbs in just the right way. As she sang, she sniffled, stopping her plucking, picking, severing, and hewing to wipe her drippy nose and rub her red eyes. She knew she should be happy, that her father needed her to be happy, that she was the only reminder of his wife Selena that Xenophilius had left. Sticking long sprigs of white flowering Nepeta in her hair, she continued her plucking, only to hear a twig crack right behind her.

*Crack!* The sound startled Luna, causing her to swirl around, coming face to face with a huge cat.

SNIFFF, Sniff Sniff. The nose of the huge cat sniffled her hair, before the cat took a big lick at her, causing her to fall back into the herbs around her.

Startled, she looked up at the cat, just as it laid down on the ground next to her, and nuzzled its huge head into her, and started to purrrrr.

PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! The bass sound of the giant Nundu vibrated Luna's body as it seemed to keep rubbing up against her and through the herbs that she was laying on; the vibrations causing her to giggle as it seemed to tickle her body as if she was laying on a vibrating massage chair.

"Kitty!" Luna cried with glee, her former sadness left behind as the easy going child ran her fingers through the Nundu's fur. The giant cat rolled on the ground next to her, every now and then nuzzling into her to take a sniffle of her hair or lick at her hands as she attempted to rub between its eyes, over its cheeks, or its fuzzy ears the size of satellite tv-dishes. All the time, the Nundu continued to purr as Luna's fingers found all the right spots to scratch.

Rolling onto his back, the Nundu presented its belly, which allowed Luna to crawl up on top of him, giggling as she rubbed his chest and hugged his neck, the Nundu continuing to rub its back in the Nepta flowers that grew in the forest clearing; apparently Nepta, also known as catnip, has almost the same effect on Nundu as it has on the common house cat, if to a lesser extent.

Continuing to rub the Nundu's belly and bouncing up and down due to its Purring, Luna continued to giggle, thrashing her head around to such an extent that her flying hair tickled the nose of the Nundu, causing it to sneeze, followed immediately by the sound of a Pop.

AAAACCHOOO!... *Pop*

With the sneeze, Luna suddenly found herself not laying on top of the chest of a giant cat, but instead Harry Potter.

"Um, Hi?" Harry said with a blush on his face, looking up at the blonde girl straddling his chest and looking down at him.

Luna quirked her head to the side and said the first thing that came to her mind, "Harry, why aren't you naked this time?"

* * *

To say that Harry and Luna's first real conversation started out a bit awkwardly would be a gross understatement. But due to Harry's relaxed state and Luna's resilience, they quickly got their conversation off the ground by Luna outright asking if Harry wanted to be her friend. Such an idea was way outside of Harry's comfortable area of experience, so he had to think about it for a second. He hadn't ever had a friend before; what with any chance of a friend being destroyed by Dudley and his gang. Harry wasn't even sure if he wanted a friend or how to act around a friend. However, Harry Potter, the witchdoctor hybrid animal, was very grounded in his senses and his instincts, and there was something about Luna that just called to him; and gosh darn'it, she smelled nice too. So he answered with a simple, "Ok."

Thus began a new experience for Harry. Harry and Luna played all afternoon, picking flowers with each other, laughing and not talking about really anything of importance. Harry had never had the chance to really play before, so he didn't have any hang-ups on what was a girly activity versus a game boys should play.

During the games and running through the trees, Luna had asked Harry why he was being chased by the Vernonous-Dursleyous when she first saw him, a comment that had caught Harry totally off guard at first until she described what he knew to be a hippo; at which point he broke down laughing. After explaining that it was called a hippo, he had to explain why he had a monkey on his back the second time she saw him, and what the giraffe and his animal friends had been up to when they were racing. Luna and he had several innocent conversations where her original question on nudity was raised, and it received an equally innocent answer that at the time Harry didn't want to wear clothes, so didn't know why he should. This was a sensible answer to Luna Lovegood, who had always been raised to question the norm and not follow along with something just because everybody else was doing it.

Sooner than they wanted it to the sun began to set, and Luna knew that it was time to go home.

"I have to go home Harry, my dad will be wondering where I am if I stay out too late." She told him.

"That must be nice to have your dad around and caring for you," Harry stated "How far away is your house from here?" He asked, looking around the woods on one side and the farm fields that showed rolling hills on the other.

"Oh no, I'll never get home before it gets dark." Luna said with a gasp, looking at where the sun was setting, "My house is clear on the other side of these woods. We must be miles and miles away from here." She said, looking like she might tear up.

"Nonsense, I'll take you home." Harry said, as he reached down and picked up her basket of plants and herbs, "Here, hold onto this. Now, please, promise me that you won't tell anybody about my animal side?" He continued.

"Ok, I promise Harry." Luna said, a big smile on her face, the sun setting behind Harry reflecting off her and framing her blonde hair in a golden orange glow.

"Ok then, climb up and hold on tight!" He said with a smile, transforming back into his Nundu form.

Harry crouched down to the ground and rolled to his side so that she could grab a hold of his fur and kind of sit side saddle on his neck. Then with a roll, Harry stood up carefully, making sure not to dislodge Luna or her basket from his back. Spinning her leg over to straddle his neck, Luna put her basket in front of her and said, "giddy up!" with a smile on her face, and Harry took off through the trees.

Ever so careful not to dislodge or get Luna knocked off by a low-lying branch, Harry quickly but carefully traversed the woods. Luna and Harry traveled through the forest with nary a care, for what would dare to interfere with a creature as large as Harry's Nundu form?

* * *

Xenophilius Lovegood looked up from his meal preparation to look out the window and see where the sun was. It looked about time for Luna to be getting home as if she stayed out any longer it would start to get dark. Drying his hands on a towel, he left the Rookery's kitchen through the front door of the house and cupped his hand to his mouth to call out for his daughter. Only to have his call fall dead upon his lips and his face to go as white as his hair, as an enormous Nundu came strolling out of the woods and up the hill; Luna's head peaking over the top of the large cat's head.

It appeared that Luna was talking to the giant cat, and neither the cat nor girl were paying attention to Xenophilius who was standing there silently, not until they were right at the doorway.

"Uh, uh, uh…" Xenophilus was speechless, staring upwards at the large cat with googly eyes.

Thinking fast, and keeping her promise to Harry in mind, Luna stated, "He followed me home Daddy, can I keep him?" She asked with a big smile.

Open mouthed for a second, Xenophilus looked up at the big cat and his daughter riding on its neck and didn't know what to say for a second. Harry taking the lack of an answer as his chance to make a getaway, laid down and rotated so that Luna could slip off his side. As Harry stood up again, towering over Xenophilius and no doubt able to look into the second story of the Rookery, Xenophilus found his voice again. "I'm sorry Pumpkin Dumpling, but I don't think he would fit." Xenophilus stated, trying to form a smile on his lips but failing.

"Oh, ok." Luna said, turning around to pet Harry's nose as he leaned down and gave her a nuzzle that almost knocked her over, causing her to giggle. "Bye kitty, perhaps we can play again another time?"

Harry nodded his head and then turned and ran off, down the hill and into the woods.

Luna waved goodbye and then turned to smile up at her father.

Xenophilius turned to look down at his daughter and took a big breath before speaking, "Um, where did you say Kitty followed you home from?" He asked.

"Why Africa Daddy, everybody knows that Nundu's are from Africa." She said with a smile as she moved to walk inside.

"Very well then Pumpkin Dumpling, go wash up for dinner now." He said, following his daughter in the door.

"It's Rutabaga today father, I thought I said I didn't like Pumpkins at the moment." Luna stated as she went into the kitchen and set down her basket.

"Absolutely asparagus." Xenophilius stated, his mind not really paying attention as he shut the door to the house, his thoughts focused on the next day's Quibbler article on "Tame English Nundu's and Their Similarity to Unicorns," in that they both liked young girls; to play with, not to eat.

* * *

**AN: There you go, another chapter for your enjoyment, and a longer one at that. Not quite the cliffy as the last chapter, but I hope I left you wanting more. Getting closer to the train ride and Hogwarts, now comes the real challenge, trying to come up with things that author's haven't done before. I think at this point it is pretty well impossible to not be somewhat similar to other aspects of other Harry Potter fanfics, but I'm willing to give it a shot, even if it's only to change up the timing and move things around a bit. Anyway, please let me know your thoughts, your comments are really helpful in inspiring my chapter bits. Best wishes!**


	14. Chapter 14: We're Off to See The Wizard

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**fAN: So anybody else ready for Harry to head off to Hogwarts? I know I am. Sorry about not publishing this earlier, but work has been killer and writing time has been in the range of 0, zip, zilch, nada. Anyway, off we go, into the wild blue yonder! Off we go…**

**Edit: oops on the platform...**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 14: We're Off To See The Wizard**

Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and higher education positively fortifies it. Stephen Vizinczey, _An Innocent Millionaire_

The three weeks up till Harry's leaving for Hogwarts seemed to fly by quickly due to Harry's busy schedule of preparation and his newly learned experiences with "play time." Harry and Sirius had taken a trip to Gringotts and down into the vaults where Harry was able to look through his family heirlooms and the varied knick-knacks that his ancestors and conquered had picked up over the ages. Sirius was put in charge of reviewing the dark artifacts gained and making a list of the items that might be useful for Harry's "plans," while Harry focused primarily on rooting himself in the history of the wizarding world, the family trees of the Ancient Houses he took over, and the role of the "boy-who-lived." Apparently that "role" seemed to mean something, based on all of the stories and accounts that had been written about "his life;" or at least the life imagined for him by the writers who sought to use his name and image to make money.

Upon leaving the vaults Harry, Sirius and Ragnok had sat down to discuss the knowledge that he had gained from his reading of the books as well as that which he learned from his family vaults. Harry had learned of what the wizards thought and expected of the Potters as a whole as well as Harry Potter in specific, and he was going to give them exactly what they expected. He would model his outward appearance and actions to be the "hero" that they expected to get, all the while furthering his goals. A good predator knew how to blend in so that his prey wouldn't realize he was there, but a great predator would make the prey so at ease with him that they let down their guard completely and invited him into their midst; a deadly mistake. Towards this goal, Harry spent several hours a day practicing wand movements so that he would look as powerful and as experienced as the wizarding world expected. He spent hours sitting down with the painting of Walburga Black practicing his manners and etiquette so that the purebloods would feel at ease with him. Most of all, he spent time with Sirius working on his temper and his outward expression of emotions. Harry had to learn how to control his features and actions while Sirius tried to wind Harry up, pranking Harry for practice so that Harry wouldn't snap and eat somebody when he was startled or angry; well, ok, Harry wasn't going to stop killing and eating people, but he would do it in such a way that at least the prey wouldn't see it coming and he wouldn't get caught.

While Harry's "training" was going on, the goblins were doing their part too. Harry had given them two instructions: 1. Setup the happenings for a certain family, effective September 1st; 2. Buy, buy, buy. Towards the first part of the plan, Harry spent time with quill and parchment in hand, speaking with Sirius and Ragnok while they planned a mini-coup on a wizarding family. The second part was being done with the goal of emptying out Harry's vaults by purchasing land and assets.

Farm fields were purchased throughout the world, managing shares were quietly purchased in real-estate and leasing companies, utility and oil companies, ranches, unused tracks of land, and as much muggle and wizarding property throughout the world as Harry could buy. Harry purchased potion shops, apothecaries, manure and fertilizer warehouses, and every single type of animal husbandry, farm, ranch, or sanctuary that he could get his hands on. Harry was quickly depleting his vast fortunes at a very rapid rate, even to the point where he started up a mail correspondence with Mutwa regarding continued deposits from the Mines of Solomon. Through all this, the goblins were kept busier than they had ever been, and when they weren't making purchases for Harry they were warding his new property or adding control wards to property that he held a majority share in. When they weren't warding new property, they were warding businesses or even digging through the wizarding and muggle worlds' property records looking for abandoned property to seize or steal, and wherever they found it they warded it for Harry to be unplottable. Harry purchased debts, loans, government bonds, liens and commercial papers in the billions and billions of pounds/galleons, and it didn't look like there would be any stopping any time soon. The goblins were absolutely loving it as all of their work, and the associated fees on Harry's assignments, were making them absolutely filthy rich. The Goblins were more rich than they had ever been, doubling, tripling, and then quadrupling their fortunes in a very short period of time. All of this action by Harry quickly launched Ragnok into the highest ranks of Goblin leadership, for wealth was power. Ragnok's managing of Harry's myriad of holding companies, shell corporations, and silent partnerships absolutely assured the goblin his place as the ultimate leader of the Goblin Clans.

This isn't to say that the run up to traveling to Hogwarts was all work and no play, far from it in fact. Harry and Sirius still played pranks on each other, Harry using the pranks as a way to practice spell movements from his memories while Sirius didn't really need a reason to prank anybody. The occasional chasing of the Grim still took place, but rather than a Nundu sliding around the halls of Grimmauld Place, now it was usually a young Harry Potter who slid by, all the while spraying spells after his fleeing dogfather. Harry also spent time visiting Luna, his first friend, even if his visits were often after the sun went down due to both his busy daylight activities and his rather nocturnal nature and lack of need to sleep. Every night he slipped out of Grimmauld Place and apparated into the woods near the Rookery. There he would assume Nundu form, then stretch his large body up the tower on his hind legs till his head could look in the window that smelled the most like Luna. The next couple hours would then be spent with Luna riding on his head as they gamboled about the forest, or even stopping to pick the nighttime herbs and plants that could be used for potions, another skill that Luna had learned from her dear departed mother.

During their time together, Harry and Luna spoke about his upcoming trip to Hogwarts and he promised to still spend time with her; though he might not be able to see her as much as either of them wanted. Ultimately he promised to do more than just write letters. They spent their last evening together talking about their lives, and it was a pair of handholding pre-teens that entered the clearing around the Rookery early on the morning of September first. Luna left Harry with a parting kiss on the cheek, something that confused Harry and made him blush and feel weird for some reason, as he watched Luna disappear back into her house.

All too soon though, it was time for Harry to travel to Platform 9 and 3/4ths to board the Hogwarts Express. The goblin's had their marching orders, Sirius was working the political and pranking angle, and Harry had a train to catch.

* * *

Harry and Sirius had many discussions about what to expect when Harry openly entered the wizarding world once again. Besides Ollivander and Madam Malkin no other adult witch or wizard had really recognized Harry on his forays into Diagon Alley, and neither of those two had been left in a condition to really spread the news that he had come out of hiding. Harry's discussions with Sirius about Harry's goals entailed much talk about the image that Harry would project to the wizarding world. At Sirius' prompting, thinking that it was part of the grand prank they were playing on the world, Harry decided to give the wizarding world what they expected when it came to Harry Potter, in other words, Harry Potter would live up to the hype that existed in the books about him. Dumbledore must have released statements about Harry's scar and his supposed childhood defeat of Voldemort, for no other wizard besides the Headmaster and his pawns had direct contact with Harry before he was sequestered with the Dursleys. The Headmaster had released the details, and then like all good tall-tales, it had taken on a life of its own; a life that was about to bite the headmaster in the ass.

The wizarding books about Harry Potter spoke of power, bravery, and knowledge of magic that allowed him to defeat dark lords, dragons and other magical beasts, all to save the brave maiden or beleaguered town that was beset by some manner of evil beast or wizard. In wizarding Britain especially, the myths of Harry Potter had grown to the level of stories of Merlin or even the knights of Camelot and their quests. Thus it was a "heroic" Harry Potter who resolutely strolled through the barrier onto Platform 9 and 3/4's, vastly different than the beaten, abused, and malleable puppet that Dumbledore had designed, for the Greater Good.

Black embroidered acromantula silk cloak and robes fluttering, hair perfectly styled and partially spiked, green eyes glowing with backlit power, tanned, muscled and developed to something appearing beyond the age of 11, Harry Potter walked onto the platform with his tangible aura of power exhibited for all to see; sometimes a predator hides in plain sight.

His presence was immediately felt, as he stepped out of the threshold onto the platform, Harry paused for dramatic effect; not cheesy like a certain former obliviator, but rather it was the pause of a warrior who was looking over his battlefield. Stirring his cloak and hair with his elemental powers of air, his scar displayed by his short hair and the wind that blew his bangs, a strange awe and pause took over the platform as it the wizarding families stilled and shifted their gaze to see who had just entered the platform.

"Sirius would be dead chuffed if he was here to see this," Harry thought to himself, a small smirk quirking the corner of his mouth up into a smile.

Prowling forward towards the train, the crowd seemed to part as if Moses was parting the sea, open mouthed and wide eyed, the wizarding population was stunned, none of them had known that Harry Potter was going to Hogwarts that year.

Harry kept his eyes forward, but gave a bit of a glare to a brown haired man who had taken a step towards him as if to shake Harry's hand or pat him on the shoulder. The glare had the proper effect which stopped Harry from being overwhelmed by "well-wishers." Harry didn't stop his progress towards the train, not even when a short red-headed girl sprinted towards his back and dived to tackle him.

"EEEEEEEEEE!" Ginny squealed as she pounced towards her "future husband," only to be rewarded with a THUD! Ginny Weasley seemed to hit an invisible unmovable pole behind Harry's back, leaving her to hug the air for a second, legs and arms outstretched like she was wrapped around a tree, before she slowly slid to the ground; eyes crossed, a rather befuddled expression on her face, and the formation of two black eyes starting from where she had broken her nose.

Harry arrived at the door to the train, looked back at the crowd for a second from his perch on the step, and then disappeared onto the train.

The crowd came alive again, released from their stupor the farewells of the separating families were now more focused on the excitement of the reemergence of the Boy-Who-Lived rather than the sadness of departing. Ironically enough, two families who were diametrically opposite in their views of Dark and Light were having very similar conversations with their youngest male children. The Blonde boy received a stern grip on his shoulder from his father before entering the train, and the red-headed boy received a hug from his mother before both turned, son leaving for the train, mother turning to start treating his sister's "self induced" injuries.

* * *

"Sheep," Harry said to himself as he found a compartment and kicked his feet up on the seat, leaning back against the wall that held the window of the train and keeping his eyes towards the door, "They're all a bunch of bleeding sheep." He said with disgust. He shook his head at the memory of the apparent stalker who had leapt at him; any other location would have left her lying in a bloody heap as he was want to do with any creature that dared to attack him. He had learned his mistakes about watching his back from the incident in Knockturn Alley. That incident, coupled with his constant prank battle with Sirius, had been great practice for keeping aware of his surroundings and the actions of those around him.

Closing his eyes to think, Harry went over the plan. Things would be starting very quickly, the first of them planned for 15 minutes after the train departed. Sirius and Harry had planned to strike while the proverbial iron was hot, taking advantage of the turmoil of the Boy-Who-Lives reentering the wizarding world to mask their other actions and to take control of the situation before Harry arrived at Hogwarts and had to deal with Dumbledore.

Harry's closed his eyes, his even breathing didn't betray the anger that still rose up in his chest when he thought about Dumbledore. Right then was probably not the smartest time for somebody to bother Harry; in fact, you would have taken an absolute bloody idiot to bother Harry when you could visibly see his magic whipping about him in response to his pent up anger. All of these insults to such a person's intelligence are fitting, because right then Ronald Weasley decided to shove his way in the door to Harry's compartment.

"Can I sit here, the rest of the train is full?" the boy with the mop of red hair asked as he pushed his way in the door and proceeded to set his stuff down, not waiting for an answer.

"By all means, make yourself at home." Harry said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Harry's eyes opened to glare at the distraction who blindly wandered into Harry's territory without a care in the world. Harry's senses, even in human form, were that of the animals he had evolved traits from. He could taste and smell the elevated levels of adrenaline from the boy's perspiration when he stated that the train was full, and he could see the boy's pupils move with the statement. It didn't mean that the red head was lying, per say, he could have just been excited about going to Hogwarts and meeting Harry Potter, but the warning was there. Harry recognized the symptoms of a lie from his memories of dealing with some of the real estate agents who he had met with when signing documents for the goblins.

"Thanks mate!" Ron stated, totally missing the sarcasm in Harry's statement as he dragged his scuffed and nicked travel trunk into the compartment and pushed it under the seat.

Sitting down and looking across the compartment at Harry, Ron smiled big and said, "I'm Ron Weasley, and you are?"

Harry's brain was on high alert, there was no way that the boy didn't know who he was as Harry had noted the reaction of the boy and his family, especially the boy's sister, as he traversed the platform to enter the train. Harry became still and locked eyes with who he now knew to be Ron.

"Harry Potter." He stated in reply, a fake smile creeping across his face.

"Blimey! Really? Do you have the, you know, the scar?" Ron asked bluntly.

"If you mean the one on my forehead from when my parents were killed, then yes, obviously." Harry stated, his smile not reaching his eyes.

"Brilliant!" Ron stated, "Do you remember that night?" The obviously inobservant boy stated, missing the fact that Harry's pupils were starting to lengthen into animalistic slits.

"You mean, do I remember my mother screaming to take her and leave me alone before Voldemort killed her with an AK?" Harry said, menace grinding from his voice as he slowly raised himself off his bench and began to move towards the boy, "Do you mean do I remember that bastard killing my father first and then mother's death scream?" Harry asked towering over the sitting boy who was starting to creep back into his seat with eyes and mouth wide open. Harry's robe and hair were now being ruffled by a wind that only existed in the compartment, and he asked, "Do you mean do I remember him casting the death curse at me, all the while his red eyes and evil grin smiled down at me?" Harry practically yelled, towering over the red-head and looking straight down at Ron.

Ron didn't know what to say, he saw his meager life flash before his eyes, and he regretted the fact that most of it was spent in potty training.

Just when Ron thought his life was over, chess game over man, Harry stepped back.

Harry looked down at the boy and could smell his fear, that and a slight scent of urine, and realized what he was doing. Quick as a wink, his occlumency shields shot up and blanked out his emotions of anger. Slipping back into his seat faster than Ron could follow with his eyes, Harry was back in his comfortable position and looking at the boy like he had never moved.

"Nope, don't remember a thing." Harry said with a smile.

Ron was speechless for a moment, before stuttering and looking at Harry. "W-What? W-What? What was that?" Ron asked, still goggle-eyed.

Harry quirked his head to the side and took on a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

Ron freaked out a bit and verbally vomited his answer, "The standing up, the story, the saying You-Know-Who's name? What was that!" He gushed.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, "Are you feeling ok?" Harry asked, the thought in the back of his mind was that screwing with this kid's brain could be fun.

"You were just standing here! Right in front of me, telling me about your parents' deaths! What was that?" Ron said, now yelling as his adrenaline was really pumping.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Are you sure that you are feeling alright?" Harry asked in a quizzical but polite tone, raising one eyebrow.

"Wha…?" Ron said, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as his brain hit 'reboot'.

Fortunately for Ron and the sanity of his five fully functioning brain cells, the moment was interrupted by a familiar blonde boy opening the door to the compartment and walking in with two boys who could be politely termed as 'big boned.'

Draco entered the compartment with a sneer and stated, "They say Harry Potter is on the train, and this is the last compartment to check, so… Bollocks!" Draco ended his statement as his eyes caught sight of Harry and the memories of Draco's statements and the situation at the Robe store to flooded through his brain. Mentally cursing to himself, he quickly caught his composure and turned to really look at who was in the compartment with Harry.

Sneering at Ron Weasley, Draco said to Harry, "You will find that some wizarding families are better than other's Harry, I can help you there. My name is Draco Malfoy." Draco stated, holding his hand out for Harry to shake.

"Really? Are you sure about that?" Harry said, a predatory smile now starting across his face.

Harry's reply took Draco off guard. "What? What do you mean am I sure about that? Of course I can help you know the better wizarding families. Besides, anybody is better than this blood traitor!" Draco stated as he sneered at Ron.

"No, you don't understand," Harry stated, that same smile plastered across his face, this time actually meeting his eyes. "Are you sure that you are Draco Malfoy?"

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Narcissa Malfoy was always perfectly coiffed and fashionable in public, it was demanded by the clauses in her marriage contract and expected of her place in the wizarding society; the wife of the minister's chief advisor and one of the richest families in the wizarding world.

The morning of releasing Draco to go to Hogwarts had been bitter sweet for her. One part of her missed her son, the other was happy that he was off to school. The tug on a mother's heart strings as she saw her 'baby' grow up was both happy that he was growing up, but sad to see him leave her proverbial apron strings. The sadness was somewhat lessened by the fact that in the last several years Draco had become more and more like his father, distant and haughty, prone to irrational actions based on prejudice and not showing the cunning that was truly expected of a scion of House Malfoy.

It wasn't as if Narcissa didn't believe in the pureblood ideology, she had been a Black after all, and Toujours Pur was still her motto. She thought this to herself as she walked out of the floo and into her house, taking a moment to loosen the clips in her hair and stick her wand in it to hold the loose bun in its place. She walked into the living room and called for an elf to bring her tea.

Narcissa contemplated her life and her marriage as she sat down on a settee and reached for the cup and saucer of tea that had appeared before her. Lucius had "gone to the ministry for an important meeting," though she expected that he was really going to go visit 'the boys.' Her marriage was loveless, and she knew she was doomed to live it out for the rest of her days.

"What a sad life I live." She said to herself out loud as she went to take a sip of her tea, only to disappear with a *POP*!

Narcissa's cup of tea and saucer fell to the floor and shattered on the highly polished dark marble, the tea spilling across the floor and starting to seep into the ornate Persian rug that was under the short living room table.

The house was silent. If one was to be in the house, one would only hear the ticking of the grandfather clock and the rapid approach of several incoming mail-owls.

* * *

"Of course I know what my name is!" Draco said in exasperation, all thoughts of shaking Harry's hand dropping from his mind as he was side-tracked from his original campaign.

"Really? Alright then. But let me know if you need any help with that name problem." Harry said with a quirky smile, he eyes gleaming a bit.

Draco was dumbfounded. He really didn't know what to do right then, but figured that he needed some time to think about what the hell had just happened. His mouth opened and closed a few times, as he first looked at Harry, then Ron, then back at Harry.

"Bah! You're barmy!" Draco said. Flustered, Draco turned around and squeezed between his two miniature trolls and disappeared down the train's hallway. The two bookends dumbly stared at Harry and Ron for a second before turning to follow Draco down the hall, neither saying a word.

Harry just smiled inwardly and thought about how his plans were coming to fruition. He started to contemplate the next steps to take, when his train of thoughts was rudely interrupted by Ron.

"HA! We showed him, didn't we mate!" Ron said with a smile at Harry.

Harry slowly turned his head to face Ron and merely quirked an eyebrow, as if to say, "What the hell are you talking about you bloody idiot?" Apparently Harry's quirked eyebrow could say a lot. Harry's forthcoming statement regarding' Ron's sanity, or lack thereof, was interrupted by the lady with the food cart rolling up to their open compartment door.

"Anything off the cart dearies?" She asked with a genuine smile.

"No thanks, we're good." Ron said with a frown, pulling a smashed liver and onions sandwich out of his pocket.

"Hmmm, one second," Harry said as he stood up and looked about the cart. "I'll take several blood pops and two chocolate frogs." He stated, handing over several galleons and not accepting any change in return; it wasn't like he really cared about the money.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry caught Ron's jealous glare as the boy watched Harry carelessly hand over money and receive the candied treats in return. Ron carefully hid his frown by the time Harry had re-arranged himself back in the compartment.

As Harry sat down, popping a blood-pop in his mouth and savoring the bloody goodness, one of the chocolate frogs fell off his lap and onto the floor. Ron quickly scooped it up, opened it, and took a messy bite of the chocolate frog.

"Thanks mate!" Ron said with a messy smile, pieces of chocolate smeared on his lips and falling out of his mouth.

Harry decided to let Ron keep his thieving hands… for now, as a certain coldness came to his eyes. "No problem." Harry whispered with a bit of menace, the compartment growing a few degrees colder for some 'unexplainable' reason.

Ron just smiled a smeared smile back as he chewed through his frog. Harry proceeded to finish off the first blood-pop and reach for his remaining chocolate frog. As he opened the box, the animated chocolate frog jumped for freedom, only to be snatched out of the air by Harry's blindingly fast reflexes. Eating the frog in one bite, Harry looked at the card that had been in the box.

"Dumbledore! BAH!" Harry thought, flipping the card over and reading it anyway; knowledge was power after all. "Hmm, dragon blood… Nicholas Flamel… friends with the creator of the philosopher's stone" Harry thought as he read the card, the memories form Scorpius Black filling in the details that weren't listed in the short description on the back of the card.

"Hmmm, I wonder if…" Harry's thoughts were interrupted as the smell of prey issued up to him from where Ron was sitting.

Looking up at Ron, Harry saw a rat crawl out of the pocket of the red-head's robe and start munching on the chocolate that had fallen from Ron's mouth as spittle.

SNIFF! Sniff, Sniff. Harry smelled the air, and then tasted its scent. That was no mere rat, that was an animagus.

Looking down at the rat with a gleam in his eye, Harry's enhanced vision could clearly make out a missing finger. Only one rat animagus that Harry knew of had a missing finger, Pettigrew!

With a growl, Harry lashed out across the compartment. One palm flashing up to impact Ron's forehead, knocking him out cold. The other hand grabbed the rat off Ron's lap so fast that Harry ripped the boy's robe.

Hands with fingers like steel cables wrapped around the rat, "Hello Peter." Harry said, he green eyes glowing and a large sharp fanged smile forming on his face, "I know somebody who'd absolutely _KILL_ to see you again." Harry finished. The rat squirmed, flailed, and lost control of its bowel movements as it was held in Harry's tight grasp; Peter couldn't even bend his head to bite Harry's hand.

Pulling out his wand, Harry flicked out two stunning spells, one at Peter and one at Ron, and then cast a scourgify on his robe and hands to clean off the evidence of Peter's fear.

Harry had to work fast if he wanted to get his 'gift' to Sirius wrapped up and on its way before somebody else came to the door. Flicking his wand at the door, Harry cast a locking charm and darkened out the windows.

Harry cast an incarcerous on Pettigrew, but instead of ropes tight red ribbons tied themselves around Peter's form, ending in a nice pretty bow; Harry remembered that it was the little details that meant so much to people. Pulling out a piece of parchment from his bag, Harry wrote out a quick note to Sirius stating he was sending him a small token of appreciation, but to make sure that he didn't kill Peter; maiming and torture were all good, but he had to be in "one piece" at the end.

Attaching the parchment to the ribbon with a sticking charm, Harry swirled his wand and tapped it to the bound rat's ribbons while saying, "Portus." Harry made a mental note to work on his wordless and wandless uses of such spells before focusing back on the job at hand.

Setting the rat down on the seat next to him, Harry stated, "Marauders." At which point the rat disappeared with a flash and was gone.

Looking up at the passed out Ron, Harry quirked his head to side for a moment, before an evil thought popped into his head. "Tsk Tsk, this absolutely won't do. Can't have you remembering anything that could cause me troubles now, can we?" Harry asked rhetorically to the unconscious red-head.

"Obliviate!" Harry snapped, raising his wand toward Ron's head, and hitting him with a blast of light right between the eyes. Then with a few flicks of his wand, Ron's trunk was out from underneath the seat and open, exposing the untidy mess of clothing, quidditch books, and a chess set.

Opening the window, Harry picked up Ron's trunk and shook the contents out the window of the train. Turning towards Ron with a cackle, Harry set about folding the unconscious eleven year old into a ball, only to deposit him into the boy's ratty trunk, securely closing and locking the lid.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish." Harry said as he kicked the trunk back under the seat, brushed off his hands and stuck another blood-pop in his mouth. Remembering a lesson that Scorpius had been taught in his younger days as a Slytherin, "Plausible deniability is good, but being found somewhere else entirely is even better."

With that, Harry tucked his remaining blood-pops into his pockets, used his wand to unlock the door, and jaunted off down the hallway towards the front of the train, whistling a happy tune. He passed a frizzy haired brunette and a pudgy shy looking boy who were apparently searching for a toad, Harry politely denying having seen the amphibian. Harry held a small quirk of a smile on his face as he turned from the duo, he made a mental note that he would have to introduce himself to the girl he recognized from a previous trip to the zoo.

* * *

**AN: Next chapter is written, sorry for taking so long, but working 60+ hour weeks is not conducive to writing.**


	15. Chapter 15: Driving Them Bat Shit Crazy

**Freak of Nature**

I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I make any money off of this work, period.

**AN: Ok, I get it on the platform, honest mistake given that I had written out the last chapter on scraps of paper and then tried to read my handwriting to type it up. This is what happens when you don't have time to sit down and write the whole chapter out from start to finish, type up your notes at 1:00 in the morning, and are brain dead from work, you miss these "little" details. Stupid writing on a napkin… Sorry, oops, my bad. **

**Another chapter, here we go. A Sorting we will go, a sorting we will go, Hi-ho the merry-oh a sorting we will go.**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

**Chapter 15: Driving them bat shit crazy**

"I've always felt that the best whips and chains are in the mind. With a little creativity, the physical ones are hardly necessary."  
— Jim Butcher (Blood Rites)

The remainder of the train ride to Hogwarts went about as expected for Harry. People gawked and sputtered wide eyed when he walked past their compartments, and a giggling group of girls began to trail Harry's path. The girls were vapid fans were annoying, dogging his footsteps but staying a good distance away, twittering whenever he shot a fake smile their way. By the time he had made it to the front of the train the kids had started to wear on his nerves, so he ducked into a bathroom and slid out the window of the moving train. He spent the remainder of the trip on the top of the train, enjoying the breeze created by riding a fast moving vehicle, watching the smoke from the engine's stack billowing up above his head as he lay on his back and watched the smoke and clouds pass by as the evening headed toward the dark of night.

As the sky darkened and the train began to slow for its arrival at the station, Harry decided that it was time he stopped laying around and got ready to deal with Hogwarts. Standing up, Harry braced his legs as the train slowed to a stop, the train car shifted forward and then back as the brakes fully engaged and the inertia shifted the train cars on their suspension. Brushing off his robes, Harry heard the children spilling off the train, the excited sounds of their voices ushering up to him.

Looking over the edge of the train, Harry glanced down and found an opening in the rush of bodies heading towards the carriages and towards a towering figure that stood at one end of the platform.

With a statement of "Tally-Ho!" Harry leapt from the train and landed on the platform in a gap of people. Flexing his knees only slightly, he stood up in the midst of once again startled children; those around him once again gawking at Harry and stunned by the fact that he just seemed to appear in their midst.

"First years! First years over here!" Came a booming voice from down the platform. Turning to look, Harry noted that it came from a towering figure who wore a bushy beard and a long brown coat.

"Hmmm, must be a half-giant." Harry's thoughts supplied him. "Perhaps a possible tool to be used, what with his size and possible inborn resistance to some spells. Something to look into." Harry mentally noted, chewing the inside of his cheek in thought as he and his fellow first years turned to follow the large man.

Harry followed the man along a path that led to a group of boats on the edge of a large lake. Following directions, Harry entered a boat with the frizzy haired girl and the boy who was fretting over the loss of his toad; anything was better than sitting in a boat with sycophants or those who just wanted to ask him about his scar or whether he remembered "You-Know-Who" killing his parents.

The boats lunged out into the lake and ported around a hillock, the view of the castle became clear to all of the first year students as they cleared the mound. All around Harry he heard gasps of amazement at the massive fortress that was lit up before him. But whereas the students around him looked on in amazement and joy at the magic before them, Harry had eyes only for the possibilities and the tool that stood before him.

Power, unmitigated military might is what Hogwarts represented to him. No other place in magical Britain had such powerful protective and offensive wards, and that wasn't even taking into account the massive hardened walls and defensive structures. Gargoyles lined the towers, and though well lit, the windows were perfect battle slits or embankments by which a defender could launch spells or missiles with little danger of receiving return fire. All together the outside of the castle was formidable, all the more so when controlled by a magic user worth his snuff. The other children saw Hogwarts as the manifestation of the wonderment of magic, Harry simply saw it as another tool.

Harry's mask cracked for a second as an evil smirk spread across his face and his eyes seemed to glow for a second. But his features were soon painting the picture of the same wonderment as the other students, even if a perceptive observer would have been able to see that his mask of enjoyment seemed a bit plastic in its approximation of joy and wonder.

Before they knew it they were coming up on a cavern that seemed to lead under the castle's ramparts, Harry's tactical mind and memories from Scorpius told him that it was most likely a sally-port for water-born resupply.

"Everyone down, mind your heads!" The 'half-giant' stated and the children following suit.

Before them was a stone quay and stairs leading up towards a great oak and iron bound door. The banisters that lead up the stairway were stone, with orbs of light at their forefront closest to the quay. The orbs on the two banisters, or magical torches as they seemed to be, were held up by the claws of an ironwork badger and griffin, both seeming to stand on their hind legs and grasping the orb in their claws as if issuing them forth towards the sky. Around the orb entwined was a serpent of darkened bronze scales, and an eagle was on top with its wings outspread.

As Harry stepped out of the boat, it seemed as if the air around him started to hum and an oppressive pressure began to build up in his ears. Immediately on guard, Harry's snapped his head up and crouched in a defensive position, his eyes searching for the perceived threat.

The students around him seemed unaffected, merrily getting out of their boats and proceeding up the stairs behind the half-giant and totally unaware of Harry's heightened sense of alarm. Suddenly a hiss seemed to register from his left, and then his right, as if a snake was talking to him in stereo. A wind that seemed to only effect Harry seemed to push him towards the castle, and the ground at his feet seemed to rumble as if something was burrowing underneath him. The sounds of winged creatures seemed to come on the wind, and Harry's head darted in all directions to see what was attacking him, only to see that the other children were totally unfazed and unawares of the actions focused upon Harry.

Crouching, claws extending from his fingers, slits forming in his eyes, the world seemed to slow as the sounds around Harry now were now focused from the two banisters and their orb wielding creatures. The once metal and stone figures seemed to flex, breathe, slither and flap, only noticeable by Harry's eyes as the children and adult figure seemed to be trapped out of time. Bearing his sharp teeth in a defensive snarl against this unknown magic, Harry waited for what seemed to be building up; the movements of the animals on the light scone seemed to turn into a frenzy of flapping, squawking, roaring and hissing.

Then suddenly, there was a tremendous flash of light, and the world around Harry seemed to disappear.

* * *

Narcissa Malfoy nee' Black found herself on her knees in a dank and dark dungeon, hands and head prostrated to the ground. A dark and blue tinged light seemed to filter in through the doors of the cell she found herself in, as the sounds of myriad skittering creatures could be heard to issue from the walls and ceiling around her.

Frightened, she tried to stand up, tried to pull the wand that was still tucked into her hair, tried to scream or yell for help. She was helpless, bound by invisible bonds and paralyzed so that she could not move or even make a sound. Only her wide eyes were allowed to look around her, and her chest was allowed to rise and fall as she breathed.

As the hours would pass, the pain in her knees would grow along with her worry. Her worry was then extended to new heights when, in the distance, she heard insane laughter followed by the screams of one who absolutely had to be dying.

There was no respite for Narcissa, and she would remain in that position until she passed out from the pain in her knees and the lessening of her initial adrenaline rush.

Her last thoughts as the darkness claimed her was, "Help me!"

* * *

The late afternoon of September 1st found Sirius sitting in the 'planning room' of 12 Grimmauld Place, formally known as his mother's room. Sirius had to chuckle at the payback of planning the overthrow of Voldemort from his mother the blood purist's room. His chuckle was cut off a second later as he quirked his head to the side, "Then again, Voldemort is a half-blood, so mother would probably be happy that I'm taking up the family business of killing the 'tainted.'" Sirius thought to himself with a sardonic smile.

Standing up from his place at the table, he moved over to the wall and started rearranging post-it notes into columns and idea-webs that had ideas on one side and supplies needed connected to them with string. Operation "Drive Them Bat Shit Crazy" was about to commence, but they were missing a few necessary components. Some of those should be appearing right about…

GONG!

The sound of an incoming traveler to the house reverberated through the room, causing Sirius to smile a slightly crazy smile.

"Perfect!" Sirius cackled, running his hand through his hair and then down to stroke the stubble on his chin. Wiping the sleepers from his eyes, he turned around to the south wall of the room and used his wand to create a checkmark on box 254 of the list of things to do. Looking at his watch, he saw that he should be receiving an owl from Gringotts at any moment.

"Tap tap Tap tap." Sounded at the window.

"Excelent" Sirius cackled, a small voice in the back of his head told him that 'this cackling thing was getting to be a bit much, and maybe he should throw in a maniacal chuckle or evil bellow every now and then.' His second small voice in his head answered with, 'what did the first small voice know, it was insane.' 'Very true' uttered the third small voice, which for some reason sounded like a little girl's voice.

Shaking his head and feeling the little voices rattle around in it, Sirius turned to the window and opened it for the large black owl who bore a letter with the Gringotts seal on it.

Summoning a bit of banger from his plate on the table, Sirius gave it to the bird and took the letter. The owl accepted the treat and then retreated back into the now early evening air.

Sliding his wand along the seal of the wax, Sirius cracked the seal and opened the letter addressed to Harry or Harry's 'steward'.

_Lord Black,_

_We are pleased to inform you that the marriage of the former Narcissa Malfoy nee' Black has been annulled due to violation of marriage contract stipulation 1237: at no time will a Black serve or support the employ of any mudblood, half-blood, or blood-traitor, subject to interpretation by the then Lord Black._

_As you know, Lucius Malfoy is a marked member of the group supporting one Thomas Marvalo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort, a half-blood of pure magical and non-magical-muggle descent._

_As per the instructions of Lord Black, the contract clause was triggered on August 28th of this year, thus annulling the marriage and returning to the control of Lord Black all property exchanged by contract as dowry or wife. Further, all proceeds gained from the employ of the property of the House of Black has now been returned to the Black ancestral mansion or vaults._

_We hope you have a pleasant day._

_Gringotts_

"WA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Sirius bellowed evily. 'Very nice evil bellow there' the first voice stated, to which Sirius answered with a "Thank you."

Suddenly there was a "POP" sound behind Sirius and he turned to see big beady eyes and a floppy eared head looking up at him.

"Dobby is here to present himself to his new master. Is you Lord Black?" Dobby said, looking up at Sirius out of the corner of his eyes as he kept his head bent down, wringing the edge of his stained pillowcase between his hands.

Smiling a big smile at Dobby, Sirius knelt down on one knee so that he could look at Dobby in his face. Sirius had mixed interactions with house-elves. On one side there was Kreacher who Sirius had hated with all of his heart, on the other side had been the house-elves who brought food to the prisoners of Azkaban and helped take care of the prisoners when the dementors weren't around; which wasn't that often.

"Why hello there Dobby. No, I am not Lord Black, but I can send you on to help him out if that's what you want to do?" Sirius offered, a kind smile creeping through to supplant his formerly insane grin.

"Dobby is being asked what he wants? Dobby be doing what he is told, Dobby is a good elf!" Dobby said, looking at Sirius aghast and wringing his hands that much more rigorously.

Lowering himself to sit cross-legged on the floor, Sirius smiled at Dobby. "Of course you are, but Harry could use your help, and Harry doesn't want anybody to be a slave to him. I'm certainly not going to keep somebody as a slave after what I've been through. So do you want to help Harry Potter, the Lord Black?" Sirius questioned with a kind look, he could see that this elf had been beaten down just as much as Harry or he had been.

"I can serve the Great Harry Potter?" Dobby asked with joy filling his face, his ears perking up and tears starting to drip from his large eyes.

"Yep, Harry is Lord Black. So now you are Harry Potter's elf. But he will have to tell you what he wants done, if anything. So why don't you go see him over at Hogwarts?" Sirius stated, now showing a large smile.

Dobby seemed to be speechless, happy tears leaked from his eyes as he looked at Sirius. And then with a leap, Dobby spanned the distance and gave Sirius a soggy hug around his neck, taking Sirius off guard.

Realizing what he had done, Dobby jumped back from Sirius, blew his nose in his pillow case, and then disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Sirius just laughed at the actions of the elf, remembering how it had felt to finally have his freedom, and then with a swish of his wand Sirius checked off the box on the south wall regarding getting a house-elf.

Standing up, Sirius returned to moving around the post-it notes, adding a few notes that included Dobby in the 'assets ready for action column.' Stepping back from the wall, Sirius nodded with satisfaction at the work he had completed. It was also a nice plus that when standing back from the wall of post-it notes that an image of that month's play-wizard centerfold seemed to appear; ok, it took some imagination, but that is what being insane was for, got to love those dementors for that gift.

GONG!

Sirius yanked his wand out and turned towards the door, looking away from the post-it note image of the centerfold on the wall that had just winked at him. Looking down at his watch, he saw that they weren't expecting any visitors for at least another seven to eight hours.

Shoving open the door to the room, Sirius rushed down the stairs towards the entry hall, wand leading the way. Jumping down the final staircase, Sirius landed with a roll, coming up with his wand pointing towards the door to the front of the house. Nobody was there.

Standing up, Sirius started to look around him to see if he had missed somebody, only to hear a rabid squeaking at his feet.

Looking down, Sirius saw that his birthday had come early. Wrapped in red ribbons, and obviously awake now, was a squirming Peter Pettigrew in rat form.

Fury, Happiness, Rage, Giddiness, Anger, and Insanity rushed through Sirius's mind, forming a red haze to fall in front of his vision.

Pointing his wand at the rat, Sirius gave a flick and a _levicorpus_, raising the rat up to the height of Sirius's face and dangling it in the air by its tail.

"Hello, Peter. I'm so glad you decided to join me, what, with me _missing _you last time!" Sirius snarled, insanity clearly shining through his eyes to the squealing struggling rat. "I should kill you!" Sirius stated, but then seeing the note from Harry that was attached to the ribbons, "But then again, it's your lucky day. You're going to be my new favorite squeaky toy." Sirius said as he directed the rat in front of him, dangling in the air as they proceeded into the back rooms of the first floor; Kreacher's old 'play room' where they kept the sharp and rusty 'toys' for playing with muggles.

As the door to the room closed, the view from the hall showed several flashes of light issuing out from under the door, and then a whiny voice stating, "Sirius, my old friend! He made me do it, I couldn't help it…" Only to be shut up by another flash of light and Sirius's voice yelling "Silencio!"

It was then that the cackling and wild laughter began, as more flashes of orange, purple, and a myriad of other colors flashed beneath the door. A few minutes later the sounds of screaming could be heard to issue from the room as Sirius had no doubt canceled the silencing spell. The screams and mad laughter would issue on through the rest of the evening and on into the night.

* * *

It was a beginning, an end, an expansion of time, an eternity that seemed to happen in a blink of an eye, and then Harry found himself standing again on the stone stairs leading out of Hogwarts lakeside sally port. His arm was outstretched and his hand was resting on the left banister and its lit orb; all evidence that he had been in a position of 'fight or flight' was gone, and his fully human and "Boy-Who-Lived" mask was firmly in place. The children were still walking up the stairs, totally oblivious to the actions and magic that had just happened in their midst.

Whereas the children and the half-giant were unchanged, Harry had not been unscathed by the magic. Though it had seemed like an instant, Harry had experienced and learned much; for it is one thing for an Heir of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw to come to Hogwarts but it is something entirely different when the Lord of a Founder's house arrives at Hogwarts. Harry was both the Lord of House Gryffindor and the Lord of Slytherin, in short, Hogwart's belonged to Harry, it was his to wield.

Again a smile crept across Harry's face as he stood there, communing with the school and quickly reviewing what the magic had taught him in that instance of being caught out of time. The school's history was all there, the real history and not the one told by the "victors." The ward structure and control of the wards was his to take control of if he wanted, and the nature of the battlements and the passageways throughout the castle were his to use and control. Whereas Sirius had told him of how the Marauder's had created a map that let them know where a person was within Hogwart's walls, Harry had access to the very heart and soul of Hogwarts itself; a living entity of semi-intelligence that would tell him whatever information it could gather. Harry's ability to access Hogwart's intelligence made the Marauder's map look like a cheap children's toy in comparison. Normally this power rested in the controls of the Headmaster, but now it was in the so called administrative control of the Lord of the castle. With this power came not only the ability to know what was going on within Hogwarts, but to keep others from tracking where he was or informing on his actions. The school informed him that he would have to discover the private areas of the four founders by himself, or have the information given to him by one who knew of it, but otherwise the fortress was his to completely control when he wished it.

Patting the orb gently, and then caressing it as if it was a lover, Harry trailed his hand over it and along the banister as he proceeded to follow the first year students up the stairs; none of them realizing that a new tool and weapon had just been added to Harry's quiver of destruction.

* * *

Harry and the children had made it to the top of the stairs where the large man knocked on the doors and the children met a severe looking woman with tightly swept back hair and a firm line to her clenched lips. The man handed the children off to the lady, allowing Harry to learn their names were Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. The professor focused on the students for a moment, suggesting they 'tidy up' as her gaze swept across the gathered first years.

Harry noted that her gaze seemed to linger on him longer than it did on the other students. "Interesting," He thought, "There was more to that gaze then just the normal celebrity worshipers." Harry postulated, only partially listening to the Professor's words regarding the upcoming sorting. Professor McGonagall then turned and reentered the two massive doors, leaving the children to gossip and whisper about the upcoming mysterious sorting.

The children started talking among themselves.

"I hear they ask you questions about yourself until they see which house likes you the best," a cute Hindi girl stated, giggling with a blonde who stood next to her; the twin of the Hindi girl merely snorted with a smile on her face, shaking her head at her sister's statement and twitters.

A boy with an Irish accent could be heard in the back stating that he overheard two older red-headed students say something about wrestling a troll, which started the other kids gasping and wondering if they would really have to do something crazy like that.

The frizzy haired brunette who had ridden in the boat with Harry put in her two-cents worth, or more accurately her two galleons worth as she started talking without really stopping to breath. "I hear it's a test of knowledge and skill. I of course read through all of the first years materials as well as reviewed my textbooks from the muggle world so that I could have a better understanding of what was going on. I've only tried a few of the spells, but they have all worked well for me. Why I think that the professors will probably make us show some sort of intelligence quiz with a personality portion…"

Harry interrupted the girl, "I think it will be something quite simple and quick, perhaps an enchanted item that places you into the right house." He said with a smile. The children all seemed to stop their conversations and stare at him, listening to his mature and somewhat baritone voice; apparently puberty was coming early for Harry Potter.

Harry of course knew what to expect, what with having the memories of Scorpius Black's original sorting in his head. Of course the other students didn't know that though many of them knew who he was and took his statement as the gospel truth. The frizzy haired brunette seemed to go for the more scientific approach however and decided to question Harry's knowledgebase.

"I'm sorry, I don't know your name, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm muggle born but from what I've read in 'Hogwarts a History' I can only hypothesize that it will be some sort of test or quiz."

"Harry Potter," Harry said, which caused the other children to twitter, "And by all means, we shall see in a second which one of us is correct Hermione." He answered her with a genuine smile that met his eyes. His memories of the time at the zoo where flowing through his head. He had seen her get bullied, and perhaps if he could get to know her a bit, perhaps she could be of some help for him and his goals.

"Harry Potter? I've read all about you. You're in…" Hermione continued, only to be interrupted by the shrieks of several students as several ghosts came through the walls, and floated down the corridor together in front of the students.

The ghosts seemed to be debating somebody named 'Peeves,' and the fat monk of a ghost had just been in the process of saying "live and let live" when they recognized the first year students in front of them.

"Ah the new first years," The Ghost continued with a smile. The Ghost was about to continue when he and the other ghosts laid eyes on Harry and stopped. The ghosts all became 'deathly' still as they could feel exactly what Harry was. Yes they felt the bond that came from Harry being a Lord of Hogwarts, but that was a trifle sensation in comparison to being in the presence of one who had walked the Paths of the Dead and who had been touched by the knowledge and experiences of the dead.

Hogwarts fed Harry the information that his mind sought out, allowing him to know who was addressing him and the other students.

The Fat Friar and Sir Nicolas bowed to him with a slight bend at the waist; Sir Nicolas's head flopping half off with the bow before the ghost used his hand to right his head. This of course caused all of the children to scream at the gross spectical.

The Bloody Baron unsheathed his sword and affixed it before his face in a sword salute, and the Grey Lady curtsied deeply.

Harry simply nodded his head in acknowledgement, and waved his hand for them to proceed. To which the ghosts all straightened up and silently proceeded down the hall.

The reaction of the students towards the ghosts and Harry was stunned awe, to which he returned an understanding but not prideful smile. This whole situation worked perfectly towards his plans of building his reputation as one of power and knowledge. If he was going to compete with the 'Old Man' of the castle, then he would need to be seen as just as knowledgeable and powerful as Dumbledore; a hard feat considering Dumbledore had 100+ years on Harry and a strong political and historical powerbase. But every little bit counted.

Hermione couldn't keep quiet though, she had to ask, "What was that? Why did they bow to you? How do they know you? What do they know about you? What do you know about Hogwarts that I don't?" Her questions seemed to go on and on without a pause for answer or breath, each of them a loaded question that Harry wasn't ready or willing to answer.

Fortunately for Harry, Hermione's whirl-wind of questions was interrupted by the return of Professor McGonagall.

"Line up! You will now be sorted." Professor McGonagall stated in a no-nonsense manner. "Follow me." To which her comment was followed by her turning and strolling through the halls and on into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The students filtered into two lines behind the professor, Harry naturally taking a more leadership position, which was interesting because he was now standing beside Draco.

As they entered the Great Hall the older students at the tables all hushed as they examined the incoming first years. Though the new students were generally short and indistinct from any other batch of first years, one head stood out from the bunch; the amazingly mature looking Harry Potter.

The girls and boys in the hall twittered a bit with excitement as word spread that Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts. Voices could be heard stating, "There he is!" or "It's the Boy-Who-Lived!" These statements were also then interspersed with utterances of, "Isn't he dreamy?" or "Cute" and even a couple of "He's Hot!" or "Yum!" throughout the student body; the latter stated mostly by the females.

Harry only smiled as his incredible hearing took in the cacophony of voices, able to separate and process all of the different voices as his occlumency and higher evolved body took in the conversations around him. His eyes, however, were firmly focused on the head table and a certain Headmaster who was sitting at the middle of the high table.

"Dumbledore!" Harry's voice crowed in his head. The animalistic side of his Nundu self threatened to join with him for a second as his smile seemed to grow sharp toothed for a second, before his Occlumency shields shot up to block out any emotions he did not wish to express. Harry's eyes were gleaming, and a part of him wanted nothing more than to leap across the room and utterly destroy Dumbledore, but a small voice in the back of his head told him that he had a larger goal and purpose than destroying Dumbledore before all of these witnesses and then having to disappear out of society again.

At the head table, Dumbledore's eyes were sparkling like a million Christmas tree fairies were putting on a fireworks display. All of his plans were running through his head as he smiled and saw that Harry Potter had come to Hogwarts, 'his Greater Good was saved!' Dumbledore interpreted Harry's smile to mean that Harry was thrilled to be in the magical world and seeing Dumbledore. Dumbledore believed that Harry was seeing him as his savoir from the Dursleys and the muggle world, not realizing that Harry was really thinking of how much fun he was going to have obliterating the man who destroyed his family and his life.

Harry smiled back at the old man. "If only you knew how much I was going to rock your world and drive you crazy before I kill you, you would have your wand in your hand and be cursing me right now, witnesses be damned." Harry's eyes sparkled in reply to Dumbledore's twinkles.

McGonagall led the students to the front of the Great Hall and before the head table where a frumpy leather hat sat on a wooden stool. As they came to stand before the student body, the hat began to sing as song about being a thinking cap.

Harry hid his internal smirk as he recognized the song from one of Scorpius's years at Hogwarts. Apparently the Sorting Hat rotated through enough songs so that no student realized they were repeated and not newly created. When it stopped, the students politely clapped for the hat which seemed to bow to the different tables in the room before again going still.

"When your name is called, please take a seat and the hat will sort you into your new house." McGonagall stated, before pulling out the magical list of names.

"Abbot, Hannah" McGonagall stated, starting off the process of seating students on the wooden stool and then lowering the Sorting Hat.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted.

McGonagall got into the swing of things and students started to get sorted. Everything was going just fine until they got to the part of the alphabet where people's last names started with a 'B'.

"Bastard, Draco" McGonagall stated, not realizing the magnitude of the statement as she simply read the names from the magically created list of students.

Draco, formerly Malfoy, sputtered in rage, his face going from its pale white complexion to a deep shade of crimson red.

"What is this! My name is not Bastard you bloody hag, its Malfoy!" Draco exploded at McGonagall.

The entire Great Hall was silent for a second, before the students began to gossip between themselves. The most intrigued looks and sharp statements were coming from the Slytherin table. The Slytherin Head of House, a greasy hooked nosed man clad in black, could be seen to be holding his wineglass with absolutely white knuckles.

"Young man, I do not care what you think your name is, your legal name is on my list as Bastard as you apparently don't have a family name, and you are lucky that you are not a student already or you would be sitting in my office for detention for the rest of the year! Now sit on the seat and get sorted. Do not make me repeat myself young man." McGonagall stated, staring down at Draco as if her gaze could impart the killing curse.

Draco sputtered again before marching up to the seat and shoving the hat on his head. "Wait till my father hears about this!" He muttered out loud with a glare at McGonagall.

Somebody in the back of room on the Gryffindor side yelled out, "What father Draco, you're a bastard!" which was followed by laughter from the rest of the student body.

The laughter of the students and the muttering of the teachers at the head table was interrupted by the Sorting Hat yelling out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco Bastard, took the hat off his head and threw it on the floor in anger as he marched over to the Slytherin table and took a seat. The other first years around him scooted away from him a bit, not sure what to do but innately understanding that Draco was not the proper person to be chummy with when one sought out the path to greatness.

The students soon settled down after McGonagall cleared her throat and began to read out the student's names again. Things were again going swimmingly until it came to Harry's name.

"Potter, Harry." McGonagall read, a hint of a smile slipping through her tight mask as Harry glided up to the wooden stool.

As the hat settled down onto his head, Harry closed his eyes and entered the realm of his mind.

* * *

The sorting hat set down on Harry Potter's head and began to look for the student's thoughts and memories. What it found was startling new to the artifact of over a thousand years of existence. It had been on the head of Master Occlumencers before, but it had never seen this exact type of defense. Fortunately it didn't have to breathe for the vacuum of space that the Hat found itself in, looking down on the world that was created in Harry's mind, would have been very bad for a mind that was used to living in an air breathing environment.

As the hat gazed down on the world that floated in space below it, it was startled to see an incredibly large banner of parchment emerge from the planet and then slowly drift in between the Hat and "Planet Potter." The hat read the words as they drifted by.

_I WOULDN'T LOOK ANY CLOSER IF I WERE YOU, FAIR WARNING…_

The sign scrolled by on its satellite orbit around the planet, the banner then disappearing and burning up in the atmosphere as it made re-entry, its message delivered.

The Sorting Hat scoffed, it had been created to do a job and not even Albus Dumbledore would have been able to keep the Sorting Hat out of his mind if the Sorting Hat wanted to view it. The truth was that the Sorting Hat was the single strongest Legilimency device ever created.

"Fair warning Mr. Potter," the hat stated, not needing to breath to speak its message, "But I have a job to do."

With that, the hat pushed itself through space and through the atmosphere of Harry's mental world, it's fireproofing charms working in the mental world to protect it from the fiery atmospheric protection of Harry's mental-scape.

The problem with the Sorting Hat's prideful thought process was, yes, no occlumencer could completely protect their thoughts from the hat. Yes, no mental trap of fire or force could slice or burn the hat, but nothing was stopping the hat from being eaten by the infinite number of devouring insects that populated Harry's planet; for even enchanted magical hats fear magical pests.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH! GET THEM OFF ME, GET THEM OFF ME! AHHHH, THEY'RE ALL OVER ME! MAKE IT STOP!" The Sorting Hat screamed out loud for the entire hall to hear, it continued to scream for a second, but then stopped and just whimpered like a kicked dog.

The Great Hall was stunned silent as the Sorting Hat continued to sit on Harry's head and attempt to sort this most enigmatic of students.

* * *

Inside Harry's mind, the Sorting Hat reversed directions and exited the atmosphere of 'Planet Potter' as fast as its mental powers could propel it. When it had breached the upper layers and was again floating looking down, whimpering softly to itself, it was surprised to see Harry Potter appear before it reclining on a padded reclining chair; Harry's legs were kicked up on the foot rest and he was sipping on a glass of fire whiskey.

"You can't say I didn't warn you." The mental manifestation of Harry stated, clearly unfazed by floating in the vacuum of space; it was his own mind after all. "Besides, as Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin," the Head of House rings appearing on his hand, "I can just tell you where I want to go and you have to put me there." Harry said with a smile, taking a second to sip his single-malt fire whiskey.

The Sorting Hat, looking slightly moth-eaten, raised its voice at Harry, "Why didn't you tell me that before!"

To which Harry replied, "Now now, where would be the fun in that?" Harry said with mirth shining from his green cat slit eyes, a sharp toothed smile peaking up over his glass of amber fluid for a second before he took another sip.

Making the approximate actions as if it was breathing deeply and taking a break for a second, the Sorting Hat finally settled down and politely asked, "Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin, where would you like to be sorted?"

To which Harry replied…

* * *

"RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat shouted to the Great Hall.

There was a stunned pause for a second, and then the table colored in Blue started to shout and clap like crazy, some students giving a standing ovation as the hat was removed from Harry's head and he stood up to proceed to the Ravenclaw table.

The table of Red and Gold was stunned silent for a second but soon clapped politely; still somewhat stunned that Harry Potter had not followed in the footsteps of his parents. The High table holding the professors mirrored this action also, though one greasy black haired individual had a slight tick in his eye as he watched the obviously brash and overconfident spawn of James Potter stroll to the Ravenclaw table.

"Perhaps it's time I hate the Ravenclaws also?" Professor Snape thought to himself as the Hufflepuff table clapped strongly and the Slytherin table clapped politely; the house of snakes was intrigued by a Potter going to someplace other than Gryffindor.

Harry joined his new house with a smile and a nod to the people who greeted him before he sat down, where and pointedly looked to McGonagall to continue the sorting. Catching her eye, he noted that she was staring at him with mouth slightly open.

Harry winked at her with a smile, causing her to blink for a second, and then look around and realize where she was and what she was supposed to be doing.

The sorting once again continued, and everything was going swimmingly until McGonagall called out, "Weasley, Ronald."

Nothing happened. No first year came forward.

Again she repeated, "Weasley, Ronald Weasley?" She read, looking around through the remaining first years and noting that no red-head was present.

Turning to the Headmaster to say something, she was interrupted as an owl flew through the window and landed in front of the caretaker, Mr. Filch.

Taking the note from the owl, who quickly flew out of the window to get away from Mr. Filch and his cat. Mr. Filch read the note, his eyes growing large.

Quickly pushing himself away from the table, Filch limped over towards the headmaster and whispered in his ear. Dumbledore nodded and Mr. Filch proceeded to round the head table and practically run/shuffle his way out of the Great Hall.

As a few minutes passed by the students began to mumble and mutter to each other; Harry made sure to keep a straight face, his occlumency shields keeping any signs of his real glee from showing to his new housemates.

McGonagall was again going to address the Headmaster when the doors to the Great Hall were pushed fully open and Mr. Filch came in pushing a dazed Ronald Weasley along in front of him.

Filch pushed and pulled Ron along until he came up to McGonagall. "We found him stuffed into his luggage Professor. He doesn't remember how he got there." Filch stated. Then with a glare towards the Gryffindor table Filch stated, "The last thing he remembers is his brothers talking about blowing up a toilet."

With that statement, McGonagall turned her attention towards the red-headed twins at her house's table. "Fred and George Weasley! Report to my office after the welcoming feast!" She scathingly said.

"But professor, we didn't…" The twins stated in unison, only to be interrupted by McGonagall.

"Not another word! My office, after supper." She stated with a glare. Her features softened as much as they ever could in public as she turned to Ron and said, "Take a seat Mr. Weasley."

The hat had barely touched Ron's head before it yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table politely clapped for the next generation of Weasley to join the Gryffs, all of them silently happy that the twins hadn't lost them points before classes had even started.

With that new debachal out of the way, the sorting continued. Following the completion of the sorting was a speech by Dumbledore, which Harry noted only served to peak his interest in visiting the forbidden forest and 3rd-floor sometime soon.

With a few odd statements by the quack-pot Headmaster, the feast began.

* * *

Harry actually found himself enjoying the feast. Sure the detailed questions about the death of You-Know-Who and Harry's supposed adventures were a bit tiring, but his polite rebuff that meal time was for eating and his cultured smile smoothed any ruffled feathers of the 'claws' around him. The best part of the feast was definitely the quantity of food.

Ever since Harry had returned to the wizarding world of Great Britain he had found himself to be constantly ravenous. Apparently Harry was experiencing something of a magically induced premature puberty and growth spurt. The days before the train ride had seen his magic becoming easier to handle, his refinement of spells easier to complete, and an increase in his height and muscle mass; as well as a few new hairs in areas he hadn't experienced before. The memories of Scorpius and the Witch Doctor supplied to him the knowledge of what was happening to his body but it was only the supply of food sitting on the tables in front of him that would keep the student body of Hogwarts from suffering a 'rapid decrease in numbers.'

Thus it was that Harry had sequestered an entire platter of steaks for himself; steaks which he thought were rather more cooked than he liked seeing as his preference was alive and mooing.

His housemates asked him why he was eating so much meat, to which he responded that when he was adventuring he needed to eat as many calories as possible because he didn't know when he would get his next meal. A lie, but a plausible truth based on the life that had been portrayed in the books about his so called life.

In between 14 ounce ribeye steak number 4 and number 5 Harry felt a prickling on the back of his neck, as if somebody was staring at him with malice; that type of animal instinct that notifies them of danger.

Slowly turning his head to follow the feeling, Harry found himself staring up at the head table. Just as he caught the eye the dark robed professor at the head table two things happened in quick succession.

First, Harry felt a probe as the professor attempted to slip into his mind with Legilimency.

Second, Severus Snape was knocked out of his chair unconscious, head flying back as it was propelled by the rocket flow of blood shooting out of his nose; eyes rolling back into his greasy head.

"Hmm," thought Harry to himself with a wicked smile, "I always wondered what would happen when the human mind suffered from the mental equivalent of explosive decompression."

Nobody noticed Harry's smile as the head table and the students were all firmly focused on Professor Snape's painting the table and the professors around him with blood. Harry had to give Headmaster Dumbledore and the school's healer credit, they were out of their chairs and flinging healing, cleaning and diagnostic spells at Professor Snape faster than Harry would have thought possible for the two elderly magic users; something for Harry to keep in mind for when he had to deal with the two of them.

In less than two minutes the school healer had the unconscious professor levitated behind her and headed off to the hospital wing, most likely to get blood replenishing potions poured down the unconscious man's throat.

The students were all loudly discussing what could have happened and several Ravenclaws had taken out notebooks to write down the instance and started verbally casting out different diseases and poisons that could have lead to such an explosive flow of blood to come from the professor's very large nose.

'Bang!'

Dumbledore got everybody's attention by shooting off a firecracker spell.

"Attention, I'm sure Professor Snape will be perfectly fine due to the efforts of Madame Pomfery. Now, if we could sing the school song we can head off to our houses." Dumbledore directed.

Soon the students were singing the words of the school song, totally dissonant and causing Harry and his incredible hearing to cringe and his skin to crawl.

Harry ignored those singing around him and instead focused on snatching steaks to put into his pockets. After he had finished stuffing the platter of meat into his pocket he again focused on the head table; the twins at the Gryffindor table were the only ones left singing at this point, having chosen a funeral dirge's pace to sing the school song. Harry thought it was a fitting choice of tune given what he planned on doing to the school.

Looking up at the head table, Harry's ability to see magic was giving him some quirky effects. The entirety of Hogwarts would have been blinding if he hadn't consciously turned down his ability to see magic, however he could faintly see that there was a strange dark aura around the professor with the purple turban. If that wasn't disturbing enough Harry's increased sense of smell could sent the man's garlic scent from clear across the Great Hall; Harry figured that attending class with the man would be hell on his senses.

The dirge finished and Dumbledore once again made a crazy statement, this time about music. The students were told to follow their perfects to their rooms. That is, except Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter, would you please accompany me to my office." Headmaster Dumbledore stated, heading for the side door and expecting Harry to catch up to him.

Harry just smiled, his eyes glowing for a second, before he mentioned under his breath, "Time to begin the fun."

With that, Harry made his way against the flow of students leaving the Great Hall, gracefully weaving through the crowd to follow the Headmaster through the side door to the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, miles away in London the floos in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic came alive with green flames. At the same time that the Ministry's floo's were coming alive, one fireplace at 10 Downing Street went from orange flames to green.

Out of the green flames flew several flocks of Fwoopers. The fun had begun.

* * *

**AN1: Well, we are at Hogwarts and Harry has his new house, Draco's a bastard, and Ron is oblivious; basically nothing different than the original stories except Harry is in Ravenclaw. Thanks for reading, I'll try and get another post up sometime this week.**

**AN2. Again, I appreciate those who brought my mistake to my attention, hopefully I don't miss another major detail in this chapter. Oh well, thank you to the majority of readers who take the time to read my work and help me become a better writer; I'm glad I can share my imagination with you. I'm always up for constructive criticism and specifics that can make me better. Call me on the details that I miss, great, I appreciate it. However, writing mocking messages with blanket statements, aka flamers, will get you a one way ticket to 'Bob and Al's Discount House of Living Organ Donations.' Especially nasty flamers will have an appointment scheduled with the Gastroenterologist for an early screening colonoscopy, no lubrication, no anesthesia; unless you like that type of thing. In that case, I know a Urologist with a very large scope. **

**Yes I know I'm evil, no you can't have a cookie. Till next time, cheers!**


	16. Chapter 16: Fear and Loathing in London

**Freak of Nature**

Do you really think I own Harry Potter? If so, I've got this great deal for you on waterfront property for you in Florida and shares on a bridge in Brooklyn.

**AN: Wow, it's been a while since I updated. Work is a bear, but I do enjoy what I do in real life. I simply wish I had more time to read and write than I currently do. Thank you all for being patient with me and my real life diversions. Cheers!**

**AN2: Due to popular demand, **_Thoughts_** will now be in **_italics_ **to better distinguish them from spoken words. We now return you to your regularly scheduled madness.**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

'_thought'_

**Chapter 16: Fear and Loathing in London**

"Time after time, history demonstrates that when people don't want to believe something, they have enormous skills of ignoring it altogether."  
— Jim Butcher (Dead Beat)

Harry silently followed along behind Dumbledore as they weaved through the hallways from the Great Hall towards Dumbledore's office. As Harry walked behind Dumbledore, the thoughts in his head were of two branches:

_Can I please stab him in the back now, literally? Do I really need to keep this bastard alive?_

_Hmmm, Thanks for the information Hogwarts. That tapestry has a secret passage. That suit of armor is especially good at beheading people, and that statute of a busty witch has something warded and hidden behind it that I would have missed if it wasn't for the combination of my ability to see magic and Hogwarts unwillingness to tell me what is behind it._

Harry followed along, gathering information on his new home yet at the same time fighting off his urges to kill Dumbledore quickly and get it over with.

'_No, I stick to the plan. We drive the bugger bat shit crazy, destroy his life and all around him, then we can kill him.' _Harry thought, _'It's only fitting since he was primarily responsible for destroying my life and my family's."_

Harry's thoughts continued along that path until the Headmaster rounded a corner and approached the gargoyle thatprotected the entrance to the Headmaster's Office.

"Lemon Sherbets" Dumbledore stated, before turning and giving Harry an eye twinkling smile. "If you ever want to talk to me, please feel free to visit."

"Yes sir." Harry said as he forced a smile back onto his face, making it appear that he was happy that the headmaster was entrusting him with the password to his office; not that Harry really needed the password given that he could control Hogwarts at will.

With that, the two wizards proceeded up the stairs to Dumbledore's office.

As they entered the room, Dumbledore proceeded around behind his desk, his back towards Harry, and began to conjure up a pot of tea. As Harry's entered the room his attention was immediately captured by the brightly colored bird; a bird that Harry was sure he had seen before.

It was at this point that Harry subconsciously realized that being one with the Spirit of the Nundu had some unexpected consequences; namely, cat's like birds, especially brightly colored birds.

Quick as a wink, Harry pounced across the room at the phoenix that was peacefully slumbering with its head under its wing; totally oblivious to the quickly approaching Harry Potter.

Snapping his hands out, Harry snatched Fawkes off of his perch by his neck, one hand around the neck and the other sweeping the bird's feet off of the perch.

Startled, Fawkes let out a gurgled "Squawk!" as he found himself securely clutched in Harry's clawed hands. Looking up into Harry's green cat slit eyes; Fawkes realized that he was in deep shite.

Fortunately for Fawkes though, the squawk had called Dumbledore's attention. Two things then happened in relatively quick succession.

Harry's eyes got large at the realization of what he had just done, and Dumbledore started to wax poetically about the nature of phoenixes as he turned to offer Harry some tea.

Harry quickly jumped over the back of the chair that faced the Headmaster's desk, pulling Fawkes with him and plopping Fawkes down on his lap where he made a visible effort of stroking the phoenix with the hand that could be seen above the desk. His other hand had several claws extended into Fawkes downy feathers, hidden under the feathers and making it appear as if the student and bird were merely enjoying each other's company.

"Ah excellent." Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile as he witnessed the boy lovingly stroke his familiar while the bird sat in his lap. "He must like you very much Harry to let you stroke him like that. You must be of the light, for Fawkes would only let a wizard of the light pet him like that."

Harry smiled up at Dumbledore, "He is an amazing bird sir, and his coloring simply draws my attention to him." Harry said with a stroke of Fawkes head, looking down at the bird.

Though Harry's smile and words said one thing, Harry's eyes spoke a whole different message.

Fawkes understood loud and clear the unspoken message, '_If you don't play along, you will be lunch._'

"Chirp"

Fawkes gave a half hearted happy chirp in agreement, knowing that even if he tried to flame away, he would be bringing Harry with him; and Harry's claws that were ready to gouge out his stomach.

"See, he likes you!" Dumbledore stated with a smile as he sipped his tea, again mistakenly inferring that Fawkes's presence in Harry's lap was voluntary.

"So my boy, how was your summer? Care for a lemon sherbet?" Dumbledore asked, giving the soft sell by offering candy at the same time.

"My summer was fine sir." Harry stated as he declined the lemon sherbet. Having been raised in the muggle world Harry knew never to take candy from strangers; especially from strangers whose eyes eerily twinkled and wore robes colored by what must have been mushroom popping Californian hippies from Humboldt.

Dumbledore merely stared at Harry, eyes twinkling, expecting for Harry to continue and explain more.

Harry, in turn, merely stared back. Not saying a word and simply continuing to smile at the old man as he pet the man's familiar_. 'Let's see how long it takes before he cracks.'_ Harry thought to himself as he continued to smile politely at the headmaster.

"Slurp." Dumbledore sipped his tea, and stared back at the boy with his twinkling eyes.

"Pet, Pet, Pet, Pet, scratch." Harry simply continued to smile that perfect white toothed smile at the Headmaster, not even blinking as he pet Fawkes and then scratched at the area around the bird's crest.

"Slurp"

" Pet Pet Pet"

"Slurp"

"Pet, Pet, Pet"

"Slurppppppppp…" _'Oh for Merlin's sake.'_ Dumbledore thought as the silence had finally gotten to him.

"So where were you this summer Harry my boy?" Dumbledore stated, a bit flustered that the boy had outlasted his stare though not showing it outwardly.

"I'm sorry sir, not to be impolite, but I don't see how it is any concern of the headmaster where I am during the summer when I am not at school." Harry said with a smile as he continued to stroke Fawkes with the same measured strokes that he had been doing since he placed the bird on his lap.

"Now now my boy, I heard that you weren't at your family's house so I need to know where you were for your own safety." Dumbledore said with a smile.

"I'm afraid that my past whereabouts have nothing to do with my present or future safety Headmaster, and I have no family." Harry stated with a smile.

A device behind Dumbledore blew up in a whirling of blue flames, the last passive device measuring the protections on the Dursleys' themselves gave up the ghost.

A flustered Dumbledore whipped out his wand. "Aguamenti," he cast, a stream of water with pinpoint accuracy, hitting the flames and extinguishing them quickly.

Since Dumbledore's eyes were focused on the fire and putting them out, he didn't see Harry's eyes go wide open for a second and flash glowing green when Dumbledore pulled out the Elder Wand to cast the water charm. Harry felt a calling, almost a longing, go through him as he felt a pull towards the wand in Dumbledore's hand. Harry's mage sight caught the image of ghostly black and green wisps of magic that seemed to issue out from around the core of the grey wand; as if ghostly tentacles were seeking to connect and grab at Harry. At the same time the invisible ring on Harry's hand, the ring of House Slytherin, seemed to send out probing tentacles of magic of the same color towards the wand in Dumbledore's hand. The distance between them, however, was too far for the tentacles to touch each other.

'_Hmmm_' Harry thought, _'That wand calls to me in some way. It feels familiar, as if a ghost from long past is calling out my name, yet the message is being carried off by the wind. I must figure out some way to get it!'_ Harry calculated, his eyes squinting shrewdly at the wand before returning his look to the wide eyed 'honest' stare and smile before Dumbledore turned around to again face Harry.

"Now now my boy, that is no way to talk about your guardians." Dumbledore stated with a frown, attempting to guilt Harry into telling him what he wanted to know.

Harry answered simply, "I have no guardians Professor Dumbledore. I am emancipated from my former aunt and uncle's 'loving' care."

This shocked Dumbledore, whose eyes flinched for a second before resuming their twinkle. "Hmmm, I was unaware of that. However, you have a magical guardian Harry." Dumbledore stated with a smile.

"Hmmm, I didn't know that Headmaster, who used to be my magical guardian?" Harry asked politely with a smile, realizing the Headmaster was about to stumble his way into a verbal trap.

"Why I am your magical guardian Mr. Potter." Dumbledore stated with a smile, only for Harry's previous words to catch up with him in his thoughts. "Wait, what do you mean by 'who used to be your magical guardian? ' I am still your magical guardian Harry." Dumbledore questioned, startled and a bit ruffled at Harry's question and phrasing.

"I'm sorry sir, but you are incorrect, I am my own legal guardian as I was emancipated in the magical world as well." Harry said with a smile, now his eyes were twinkling at Dumbledore. _'Mental note_,' Harry thought, _'Remind me to thank Scorpius for the memory of that wordless,s wandless eye twinkling charm if I ever call up his spirit for a chat.'_

Dumbledore collapsed back against the back of his chair, stunned.

"How long have you been emancipated Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore questioned anxiously.

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't think that control of my person is any of your concern anymore." Harry stated with a smile that started to resemble a smirk, "Besides, you are obviously a busy man, what with you being unable to ever visit me after you left me at the Dursleys on that cold November morning." Harry stated with a dig as he set Fawkes down on the desk and prepared to leave.

Dumbledore was shocked! _'Shite! He knows!' _Dumbledore thought, '_Now I just have to figure out how long he has been emancipated so that I can see what it will take for me to get it overturned! I need to get him back under my control.' _Dumbledore postulated, sitting forward in his seat.

"Harry my boy." Dumbledore smiled as he continued to try to get information from Harry, "I placed you there for the Greater Good. Everything I have done for you as your guardian is for the Greater Good." He continued to try and explain. Dumbledore knew he couldn't just Legilimens the boy. It was important to his plans that Harry trusted him implicitly and he couldn't give Harry an inkling of his true plan. Dumbledore wasn't willing to try and probe the boy's mind until after Severus had been able to check the boy's mind out in one of the potions classes. It wouldn't do for the boy to be a natural Occlumens and figure out that Dumbledore was trying to probe his mind.

Harry stood up and moved towards the door, a serious and strangely mature look coming to the boy's face.

"Ah yes, The 'Greater Good,' Harry said. "I've heard and seen examples of where YOUR 'Greater Good' leads Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore was stunned speechless, '_How in Merlin's name had Harry Potter learned about the wizarding world and Albus Dumbledore when he was living with those damn muggle Dursleys? They were supposed to keep Harry naïve and pliable!'_ Dumbledore thought for a second before Harry's spoke again.

"Albus Dumbledore, your 'Greater Good' would be what you think is best for one very small population of wizards who reside in one very small part of the whole world…" Harry continued, "Where as my "Greater Good" is for the whole world."

With that, Harry turned and left Dumbledore's office; leaving behind a very befuddled old man and a very unnerved phoenix.

As the door to the Headmaster's office shut behind Harry, the Headmaster tried to figure out how so many of his expectations and plans could be called into question so quickly and so early in Mr. Potter's school career.

Dumbledore was worried, and he furiously thought through ideas on how to go about gaining control over Harry Potter again.

'_I'll just have to contact the Ministry of Magic first thing in the morning and get the emancipation overthrown._' Dumbledore thought as he sat back in his chair.

Convinced that he had a solution, Dumbledore kicked his skinny old legs up on his desk, his robes hiking up to his hips, showing Fawkes and all of the cringing portraits that he 'wore' his robes like a Scotsman wore his kilt; when in Scotland, do as the Scots do after all.

"Yes, that is exactly what I will do tomorrow, first thing." Dumbledore said quietly as he reached out to try and pet Fawkes.

Fawkes merely snapped at Dumbledore's hand at the man's attempt to pet him where Harry just had been doing so, snapping for two reasons really. One, Dumbledore had been an idiot to not see that Fawkes didn't want to be on Harry's lap. Second, Harry's petting the same spot for the entire conversation had left Fawkes's feathers and skin irritated from the repetitive petting. If this kept up, Fawkes would have a molting problem in no time at all.

Dumbledore scratched himself and gave himself a congratulatory lemon sherbet on thinking up his latest greatest plan for taking control of Harry Potter. Little did Dumbledore know, but his morning dealings with the Ministry of Magic wouldn't be as easy as he thought they would be.

* * *

As Harry left the Headmaster's office he tried to figure out what he should do, since he wasn't really tired enough to go to bed yet.

Triggering his chameleon ability, Harry began to blend in with the background of the halls around him. Closing his eyes for a second, he communed with Hogwarts, questioning where the Ravenclaw dorms were located at.

Hogwarts supplied the answer, even letting him know of back routes and hidden passages that would allow him to bypass the main door to the Ravenclaw tower as well as telling Harry that he had the ability to get through the main door to the dorms without answering a silly riddle or knowing a password, noble rank hath its privileges after all.

That settled, Harry figured he would explore the grounds outside the school '_Maybe it's time to get a bit of fresh air?' _Harry thought as he glanced down at his wrist, his watch phasing back into visibility so that he could tell what time it was.

'_It looks like I still have a few hours before I'm expected back at Grimmauld.'_ Harry thought as his watch told him it was only going on 9:30 in the evening.

Sprinting off through the halls, Harry came to a large window that opened out over the Herbology greenhouses and faced the Forbidden Forest.

"Tally Ho!" Harry shouted with glee as he swan dived out the now open window and towards the ground that was invisible in the darkened depths below. Hogwarts was nice enough to close the window behind him, effectively hiding Harry's escape route from the school.

* * *

"Meow, Meow, Meow… Meow, Meow…Meow." The grey and black tabby cat mewled as it sat in Professor Sprout's private herbology greenhouse and pawed at the catnip plants and their little flowering buds.

The cat spoke, "Meow Meow, Meow….. Meow…. Meow!" The cat stated as it batted the plant back and forth, stopping for a second to rub its face on the plant on one side of its body, and then the other. Pushing against it, the stoned cat ended up losing its balance and rolled onto its back and crushed the plant underneath it as it rolled and playfully pawed at the catnip plants around it.

This cat loved catnip, and what was would be could be clearly recognized by any human that would have been watching the playful animal and hearing its meowing was that it was very happy, and also probably very stoned out of its mind.

However, if you spoke the primal language, you would actually understand just how stoned the tabby cat really was.

[Catnip Catnip Catnip, ooooooh I love you catnip! Better than rat tails, fresh mice, or licking myself! Like little butterflies in my brain that explain the cosmos of transfiguration, Oh how I love you catnip! MMMMMMM, now I have the munchies!]

"Chomp!" The cat took a bite of the catnip, used its head to pull the buds off of the plant, and started to chew. This was the tabby's last chance to try to fully get its catnip fix before it had to spend the rest of the year sober, taking care of children, and disciplining the Weasley Twins.

The cat sat up, and continued to bat at the catnip, the lights of the greenhouse shining from above threw shadows around the room as the cat moved in and around and played with the plants in front of it.

"Meow Meow Meow…. Meow!"

Suddenly, a large shadow seemed to fall over the cat, who continued to bat at the catnip without really noticing the change in the lighting.

"Meow meow, meow… Meow…. Rrrrrrr? Meow?" The cat batted once, twice, and then slowed as it suddenly realized that there was a dark shadow that seemed to overshadow only the cat and the catnip around it.

Slowly looking straight up to see what was blocking the light and stopping its fun time, the little tabby came face to face with the largest feline face that it had ever seen in its life.

**[BOO!] **Nundu Harry stated as it looked down at what his nose told him was the animagus form of Professor McGonagall. Any human who would have heard Harry's 'BOO' would have heard the sound of a deep, deep growl.

"[EEEEP!] McGonagall mewled.

Her feline hair stuck straight out and her tail stuck straight up into the air for a second and then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head. McGonagall's legs stuck straight out in fright as she was petrified with fear, she fainted, and tilted to the side with her leg's straight and ridged, falling like a chopped down tree as she passed out.

"Thud!" McGonagall fell off of the table that the catnip was on and hit the dirt floor of the greenhouse. The tabby cat looked like it had gone prematurely white and had lost at least one of its nine lives.

**[He he he he he, Always good to start off the school year with some fun**.] Harry said out loud as he smiled with a mouth full of very sharp long teeth.

"**Meow Meow Meow**" Harry laughingly mimicked McGonagall mockingly, as he rubbed his face in the catnip for a second before turning back into his human form.

Turning around in a circle to look at the greenhouse around him, he was amazed at the multitude of different plants and fungi that were around him.

Ten meter tall cannabis plants with buds the size of grapes were planted next to rows of peyote plants. In a dark corner, lit by a bluebell flame and misted by some sort of ever full watering can, grew likens and mosses that glowed red, blue and purple. Next to them were clumps of mushrooms and a few other plants that Harry had no idea about. Turning back towards the catnip, Harry saw bison grass, witch hazel, wolf bane, and more varieties of poppies than he had ever seen in one place at the same time. The tropical trees overhead even had multicolored tree frogs in them that Harry knew for sure had to be poisonous, or at least hallucinogenic, if licked or eaten.

Harry smiled to himself as he walked through the aisles, making sure not to touch any of the plants as he knew they were either hallucinogenic or intoxicating based on the knowledge that he had received from witch doctor; well, that and his elementary school's 'say no to drugs' classes.

Harry was humming a little tune to himself about Strawberry Fields when he heard a slight 'pop' behind him.

"Um, are you Harry Potter sir?" A small voice said to Harry as he turned around to look at who or what had arrived in the greenhouse.

Looking down, Harry spotted a short little house elf with gray skin, floppy ears, and big beady eyes looking up at him and wringing its little hands at the hem of its dirty pillow case outfit.

Harry smiled at the house elf, and crouched down so that he was able to look at the elf at a better level.

"Yes, yes I am Harry Potter, and who are you may I ask?" Harry asked with a smile.

"I is Dobby Master Harry Potter Sir. I used to be a Malfoy House Elf but now I am a Black House Elf and am yours House Elf Master Harry Potter Sir since yous be the Lord of House Black." Dobby said as he averted his eyes from Harry's smiling face.

"Look at me Dobby." Harry said kindly.

Dobby looked up at Harry slowly.

"Dobby, do you want to be my house elf, or do you want to be free?" Harry asked.

Eyes growing even larger, almost to the point where they looked like they were going to pop out of his head, Dobby shook his head up and down quickly, "Yes I wants to be yours House Elf Master Harry Potter." Then Dobby shook his head very quickly, "No I don'ts wants to be free Master Harry Potter."

Harry smiled and put his hand out on top of Dobby's head to stop him from possibly shaking it loose.

"Ok Dobby, Ok. You can be my House elf, but I want you to be my… hmmm, friend. Yes, be my friend also. I could use a friend in my plans." Harry said with a smile. "No calling me Master either, ok? Please call me Friend if you have to use a title for me." Harry finished.

Dobby's eyes started to trickle with tears, and then he launched himself to hug Harry's neck; soggy elf tears trickling down Harry's neck.

Harry awkwardly patted Dobby on the back, as he still wasn't comfortable with hugs and expressions of emotions.

"Thank you Thank you Thank you, Great Friend Harry Potter. Never has I's been called a friend by a wizard before, and especially by a greatestest wizard in the world like Friend Harry Potter Sir." Dobby sobbed.

"Ok Dobby, ok." Harry said as he pulled the still crying elf from him and held Dobby out at arm's length. "Now stop crying, and we can talk about what you can do to help me."

Dobby's tears dried up instantly, like turning off a water spigot as he nodded his head at Harry again, very quickly. "Yes Friend Harry Potter Sir, right away Friend Harry Potter Sir."

Harry sighed; apparently dealing with Dobby was going to be good for learning patience. Rolling his eyes, Harry smiled down at Dobby as he stood up.

"Alright then, I'd like you to help keep my stuff clean and help me with some information gathering. If you could protect my things when I'm not in my dorm room that would be great also, though I do plan on warding my bed and my trunk just to be safe." Harry stated.

"Yes Friend Harry Potter sir, right away!" Dobby said as he bounced up and down. Just as he was about to snap his fingers and disappear, Harry interrupted him.

"Wait! I'm not done yet. While you are here at Hogwarts, make sure you let me know of any rumors or important information circulating around between the elves. I also may have some, um, outside 'operations' for you to help me with." Harry said with a smile as he looked around the room.

"But first," Harry continued as a gleam came to his eyes and his smile grew a bit scary, "Package up everything in this place and bring it to the warehouse that is halfway down the block on Knockturn Alley. It has a sign over the door called "Bound and Delivered in Black" over the door, and the wards will recognize you. Make sure you don't let any of the plants touch your skin, and take the growing equipment, planters, lights and other stuff with you." Harry said as he waved his arm to point out the various areas of the greenhouse. "Just put it in a stasis area for now and I will deal with this later. Thanks Dobby." Harry completed his orders.

Tears threatened to show in Dobby's eyes again, but quickly shut off when Dobby remembered Harry's orders not to cry.

"Yes Sir Friend Harry Potter Sir, Right away Friend Harry Potter Sir." Dobby said, and then with a snap, Dobby disappeared along with a planter of cannabis next to him. This was followed by rapid fire pops as Dobby got to work disappearing the greenhouse's contents.

Harry smiled and nodded, turned, and walked out of the green house and into the darkness, leaving a hyperactive elf to his activities and an unconscious and stoned tabby cat to her inactivity.

* * *

Harry silently apparated into Grimmauld place to witness the pleasant sounds of a screaming Peter Pettigrew and an evilly cackling dogfather.

Smiling a Cheshire smile that spanned from one ear to the other, Harry's eyes glowed bright green as he walked through the house towards the 'play room' where it sounded like Sirius was having a good time.

"Having some fun Sirius?" Harry said with a smile as he walked into the room; he had to speak up to make sure his question was heard over the sound of Peter's crying and muffled wailing.

"Absolutely Harry! Voice one came up with this great idea of pulling out his finger nails one by one while voice three, that's the one who sounds like a little girl, got tired of his begging for mercy so had us use the underwear we stole from Snivellus back in 76 to shove in his mouth! I haven't had this much fun since that time when I convinced the Patil twins into a naked twister game that ended up in an baby oil bath and karma sutra reading time!" Sirius said, madness clearly shining through his eyes.

Harry merely smiled and nodded at the crazy man while slowly taking a step away from Sirius and towards Peter. '_Everybody has their own individual quirks._' Harry thought to himself, still smiling at his Godfather.

"Well at least you're having fun, but question, the Patil twins are in my class, they weren't even born in 76?" Harry questioned with an upraised eyebrow.

"That was their mother and her sister." Sirius explained with a smile.

Harry nodded in understanding, "Hmmm, that actually sounds quiet fun for some strange reason; I guess puberty is hitting me early." He stated with a shrug, "I'll have to look into that with this generation of Patils when I get really interested in girls." Harry stated with a smile.

Harry turned towards Peter with a smile, the man was chained to the ceiling and only wearing a ripped up pair of pants that didn't reach his knees anymore; burn marks and cuts adorned Peter's face, arms, and bulbous stomach.

"And how is our unplanned guest doing on this fine evening?" Harry questioned with an evil smirk.

In response, Sirius gave a glare at Peter and yelled, "Crucio!" Hitting Peter with the pain curse and causing the man to convulse and scream so much that he was actually able to spit out the soiled underwear that had been stuffed into his mouth.

"Please Harry, you have to understand, I didn't want to do it! Have mercy on me, what would your father James think…" Peter pleaded

"RIIIPPP!"

Harry's clawed right hand shot up and tore through Peter's face, popping the dangling man's eyeball and causing blood and fluid to run down the ugly rat animagus's face.

"Quiet rodent! Never speak to me again if you value your tongue!" Harry stated with fury, seething with anger.

Pulling out his wand, Harry cast a dark curse that first caused Peter's tongue to stretch out of the man's mouth, only to tie itself in a knot and get snapped back into his mouth like a taunt rubber band. Peter screamed and his eyes went crossed from the pain.

"There, that's better." Harry said with a smirk and a nod. He turned towards Sirius, "Sorry about messing up your toy Sirius, please make sure that any damage that is done to the rat is clean up and at least cosmetically healed, I have plans for him in regards to toppling the government."

"No problem Harry," Sirius said as he examined the wounds on Peter's face. "Hmm, seems to be bleeding out a bit too fast, here, let me stop that." With that said, Sirius cast the spell that would allow an individual to write letter's of fire in the air, only he used his wand to trace the bleeding claw marks to cauterize Peter's bloody face.

"AGGGGGGGHHHHBPPPPHHHH!" Peter screamed; he was unable to form words with his knotted tongue.

"Ok, carry on then Sirius. Just remember to take care of yourself and get some food. I need you here for me." Harry said with a fond smile as he put his hand on Sirius's shoulder. Sirius in turn put his hand on top of Harry's hand, and then the two parted; both still not comfortable with physical examples of affection between loved ones.

Harry stepped back and broke the awkward silence by kicking Peter in the crotch.

"Ok, off to deal with the other visitor." Harry stated with a smile as he spoke over the sound of Peter's crying and whimpering.

Sirius pulled back his foot and gave Peter a boot to the bits also. "Ok Harry, you know where I am if you need me." Sirius said with a smile.

With that, Harry walked out the door, allowing it to close as Sirius started discussing the tortuous merits of thumbscrews verses enraged squirrels in burlap sacks to Peter.

"Good evening Walburga. How are you tonight?" Harry asked as he passed the painting of Sirius's mother.

"I am well Lord Black," Walburga stated with a curtsy, "It is good to hear the sound of screaming echoing through the house again my lord." The crazed old painting stated with a smile.

Harry merely nodded a partial head bow and then proceeded down the stairs towards the basement.

Darkness and the artificial light of green flames greeted Harry as he entered the dungeon levels of the Most Ancient House of Black's mansion. All around Harry, on the walls, ceilings, and along the floors at his feet skittered his brothers and sisters of the small crawling and flying variety.

/Greetings my family, how has our guest been doing tonight?/ Harry smirkingly questioned in the language of the creepy crawlies, magic translating his message to his crawling brethren.

Chitters, cracks, scrapes and chirps sounded from all around him in the darkness, as flying creatures perched on his hair and shoulders or rested while clinging to his clothing.

/Ah, excellent./ Harry stated, stroking his finger down the chitinous shell of a large cockroach, and then using the finger to pat a doxy on the head. The doxy gave a little sharp fanged smile in return.

/Well, it would be rude to leave her waiting any longer. Let us ease her wait./ Harry stated evilly as he pushed through the door into Narcissa's cell.

"Bang!"

The door to the cell smashed into the wall as it moved on its hinges with the force of Harry's push.

Narcissa woke up, startled at the noise and awakened to the sounds of footsteps in the dark outside of her line of vision. She tried to cry out, but again, she was paralyzed from saying anything.

"Ah Narcissa, our dearest Narcissa," Harry's voice echoed around the room. "You are here because you are mine!" Harry stated. His statement punctuated by the magic of the room flinging Narcissa off the floor and her kneeling position and forcing her spread eagle against the back wall.

The pain of suddenly moving after hours of forced paralysis, coupled with the fear that hit her, made Narcissa lose control of her bladder; a dark stain formed down the front of her dress.

"Oh, none of that now." Harry's voice said from the darkness, "Just because your husband is a problem and your son a waste of genetic material doesn't mean I want you in pain." He stated, a blue spell zipping out of the darkness to hit Narcissa and immediately clean away the soiling of her garments.

Narcissa couldn't see where the voice was coming from, nor could she speak her thoughts or her pleas.

"You don't need to talk at the moment, the only thing you need to know, the only thing you need to believe with all your heart and soul, is that you belong to me, and the House of Black, once again." The voice said menacingly, seeming to come from both in front of her as well as from the right and the left all at the same time. "Your marriage is dissolved due to breach of contract by that worthless former husband of yours and his boot licking of the half-blood Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort. You will rejoin and serve the House of Black or perish here and now. Do you understand?"

Narcissa found herself nodding vigorously; apparently the paralysis on her neck had been silently released.

"You were once a dutiful daughter of the House of Black and you will be one once again, or I will not suffer you to live." The voice said as Narcissa saw only the bottom of black pants, robe and boots step into the light; the body and face of the voice still lost in the darkness.

She suddenly had her voice.

"Ye..he, Yss…" She tried to speak but had to clear her throat and lick her lips in order to give her mouth enough moisture to speak, "Yes my Lord! Absolutely my Lord! Only…" Narcissa stated emphatically, hesitating at the last to state her question.

"Only what Narcissa Black?" The voice menaced.

"Only, who are you and will you be able to protect me from my former husband?" she hesitantly questioned.

"Who am I?" The voice asked with a hint of humor, "Well we have met before my dear daughter of the house." The voice stated.

With that, Harry fully stepped into the middle of the cell and the torches on the wall flared up to show the sight before her.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry stated with a little bow, his smirk clearly shown as well as the spiders, insects and pests scurrying in the door and climbing in trains over the walls and floors; adding to the creepiness of the flickering torchlight and the glowing eyed visage of Harry face.

Narcissa's eyes went wide, she recognized this young man, the one she had checked out at the clothing store. She was speechless.

"What?" Harry questioned, his teeth elongating into fangs and his eyes turning into slit feline pupils, "Cat got your tongue?" Harry smirked.

Narcissa was stunned, she had never expected this. She had heard stories of Harry's defeat of the Dark Lord as well as seen the many amazing stories of Harry's purported adventures. However nothing had prepared her for the dark and malevolent power that seemed to be exuding from Harry Potter's being; it was natural and visceral, totally wild and untamed.

Covering the ten feet between them in a blink of an eye, Harry grabbed Narcissa's face and forced her to look into his eyes.

"Do you believe me powerful enough now?" Harry questioned, his face becoming human again.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Can I trust you to keep my secrets and follow my directions?" Harry asked, tracing a clawed finger down her cheek, scratching but not cutting or breaking her skin.

"Y-y-yes." Narcissa stuttered.

"We'll see about that." Harry stated, as he forced her to look fully at him. In an instant, he was in her mind.

Harry saw her pain, her sham of a marriage, her disappointment of a son, her tortured childhood being forced to serve the darkness, and he knew her upbringing as well as her current abilities, thoughts, and beliefs. Harry knew Narcissa's soul.

Stepping back from Narcissa, Harry looked down for a second, before looking back up at her; his Legilimency had been totally unfelt by Narcissa, and finished in blink of a moment.

"I trust you, for now." He stated, he then made a chirp sound, and the creepy crawlies flooded out of the room. "Let's get you upstairs." Harry finished, reaching for the pain racked and stiff form of Narcissa as the flying creatures resting on his robes took flight and left the cell.

Harry pulled her down from the wall and then slung her in a bridal carry. He walked with her in his arms out of the dungeons and up into the main part of the house.

Harry carried Narcissa up the stairs, through the entry hall, and into the living room where he laid her down on a couch.

As he laid her down, he made sure to pull her wand out of her hair, releasing her hair and effectively disarming her at the same time.

"Now then," Harry explained, "I am the Lord of House Black, so I have some control over you and your ability to hurt me. However, I want an unbreakable vow that you will serve my best interests and obey me in all things. I am going to give you back your wand, but if you even think about doing anything with it before swearing the vow, it will be the last thing you ever do. Are we clear?" Harry stated with a stone cold gaze.

Narcissa was shocked that a youth so young could be so commanding, cruel and cold.

"I, I thought that you said that you trusted me?" Narcissa asked, her eyes wide and a bit frightened.

Harry stood up, looking down at Narcissa as she reclined on the couch.

"I do. If I didn't, you would be dead already." Harry stated, "However, let's just say that I have a severe distrust for adults, based on the majority of my experiences in life, and have developed a deadly allergic reaction to betrayal; well, deadly for those who think to hurt me or betray me." Harry stated with a cold smirk, his eyes glowing killing curse green.

Narcissa gulped and she felt a bit of cold sweat gather on the back of her neck.

"Alright my lord, I will swear you the vow." Narcissa stated as she hesitantly reached out for her wand that Harry held in his hand.

Narcissa closed her hands on the wand to take it, but Harry didn't release it, merely looking down at her with an intense look, before nodding, releasing the wand, and taking a step back.

"I, Narcissa Black, do hereby vow to obey and work for the betterment of Lord Harry Potter Black in all things. On my life and my magic I do swear." Narcissa solemnly stated.

"So mote it be." Harry stated, and a flash of light issued from the ring hidden on Harry's hand and from Narcissa's wand, both at the same time.

And just like that, Harry's mood changed and you could see the caution and ready violence leave his figure.

"Dobby!" Harry shouted.

Dobby appeared with a Pop.

"Yes Friend Harry Potter Sir, you's be calling Dobby?" Dobby questioned before seeing Narcissa in the room and cringing away from his former mistress.

"Stop Dobby." Harry stated as he laid his hand on the cowering house elf. "Narcissa will not hurt you, nor will she command you to do anything. Is that clear?" The last statement was pointedly made to Narcissa, and she could see the promise of pain in Harry's eyes if she failed to agree.

"Absolutely my Lord." Narcissa said hurriedly.

"There, you see, no one will give you a problem here Dobby." Harry said with a kind smile as he patted the house elf on the head.

Dobby in turn beamed a huge beady eyed smile back up at Harry.

"Thank you Friend Harry Potter Sir. What can's Dobby be doings for you Friend Harry Potter Sir?" Dobby asked.

"No, thank you Dobby. Please nip over to Hogwarts and steal a pain relieving potion from the hospital wing and return it here to Narcissa." Harry stated.

"Right aways Friend Harry Potter Sir!" Dobby shouted with glee before snapping his fingers and disappearing, only to reappear a second later with a potion that he handed to Narcissa with a smile before disappearing with another pop.

Narcissa accepted the potion with a quiet 'thank you' before draining it and cringing at the horrible flavor.

"Now then," Harry stated as he flicked his wand, conjuring a comfy recliner chair to appear behind him as he casually sat down without really looking to see if it had appeared.

The casual use of trained magic by one so young caught Narcissa off guard; so much so that she missed what Harry had been saying to her.

"I'm sorry; could you repeat that last question?" Narcissa asked as she assumed a sitting position on the couch, feeling the relief of the pain relieving potion easing her aches and pains from her restrictions in the dungeons.

"I asked what you know about international business, particularly of the husbanding of animals and plants." Harry stated as he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of his face as he rested his elbows on the arms of the recliner; his gaze firmly focused on Narcissa.

"I know of my husband's business interests overseas as well as the financial knowledge that it takes to manage the books, as would any child raised in the House of Black." Narcissa stated, curious as to where the course of the conversation would lead.

"Excellent." Harry stated, ending in almost a hiss and with a smirk that grew into a smile spanning from one ear to the other. His truly smile unnerved her as he continued.

"Well then, let's start with Africa." Harry stated with a smirk.

From the back of the house the sounds of a man screaming were once again heard as the silencing spell must have worn off. It would be a long and very full night of 'discussions' for the residents of the House of Black. Discussions that would see additional plans begin to form and come to fruition before Harry returned to his bed at Hogwarts slightly before the rising of the morning sun.

* * *

Dumbledore had a problem reaching the Ministry of Magic via floo the next day. In fact, everybody had problems using the floo about two hours after the Ministry of Magic was slated to open for business in the morning. A multitude of wizards and witches flooded into the Ministry bright and early and right on time for work; right into the territory of a large pack of singing Fwoopers that had spread throughout the building.

Soon after entering the building, the records keepers from the Hall of Records decided to call it a snow day and unloaded every ministry file in their care into an ever growing hill of paper, which they then used as a sledding hill while shooting brightly colored paint spells at each other as if they were jousting. Minister Fudge entered the building and was shortly found to be soaping himself up in the great fountain, using a certain body part of the male centaur to hang his towel. Though the other office workers were going insane, their memory was not hindered in any way, thus the comparison between the centaur's towel holding 'appendage' and its comparison to Fudge's 'lack of funding in his manly bits department' would in the future find its way into the comments of the Daily Prophet.

People were running around like crazy, for they were in fact crazy due to the song of the Fwooper. The chaos got worse and worse as more and more employees and visitors to the Ministry appeared in the floo of the main hall. The tide of incoming seemed to be peaking, when the sanity of the wizarding community at large was partially saved by Madam Edgecombe puking into the main floo control system of the Department of Magical Transportation; apparently spinning around in circles for thirty minutes in imitation of how the floo transports a person is not a good idea. Her puke, though not having any magical qualities in itself, did hold a certain quality of antidote to Veritaserum and anti-Amortentia potion; as she could never be too careful that her family wouldn't dose her with the same potions that she so loved to use on her own husband and was teaching her daughter to make. This potent mix of pre-masticated food and potions just happened to be the right mix needed to short out the whole floo system for magical Britain, effectively shutting down the influx of personnel to the Ministry of Magic and causing those witches and wizards in transit to be ejected from their closest floo exit.

In short, the Ministry of Magic was in shambles and getting worse by the minute. Thus it was that Dumbledore made a large mistake in using of Fawkes to bypass the broken floo network and appear in the entry hall of the Ministry. By the time Dumbledore had a moment to look around at the chaos around him and realize that Fawkes had already flamed back to Hogwarts, it was already too late. In a matter of a few minutes, Dumbledore found himself doing the tango with Griselda Marchbanks, both of them wearing matching strapless red dresses with a slit up the side and very tall blood red stiletto heels. The dance routine wouldn't have been so bad if the two of them could have decided on who was supposed to be lead and the 'male' of the dancing duo.

It didn't really matter that Dumbledore was busy dancing at the time, for even if he wanted to access the files of Harry's emancipation, they were currently a bit 'hard' to access. It seemed that several of the records employees had gotten tired of just sledding down paper and had decided to soak down the papers and freeze them into a solid spiraling luge track that went out a window and down to the atrium of the entry hall. Unfortunately for several of the records employees, what with their being magical and not muggles, they hadn't thought to use such safety devices like helmets or even sleds, so there was a bit of blood mixed in with the ice and frozen paper.

Yes, the Ministry of Magic was a mess. However the British Muggle government wasn't in a whole lot of a better position. It wasn't known, outside of Number 10 Downing Street, how bad the situation really was until Prime Minister John Major made a call to the Queen requesting that she, and Lady Margaret Thatcher, come over for a naked twister game and to make sure that they brought lots of baby oil.

Through all of this madness throughout the Isles of the United Kingdom, Harry Potter merely ate his breakfast in the Great Hall of Hogwarts and prepared for his first day of school at Hogwarts.

Having had a good nights sleep of two hours, Harry smiled as he looked out at the sun streaming in through the windows and the enchanted ceiling.

'_Yes_' Harry thought to himself with a smile as he noted that Dumbledore, Sprout and McGonagall were missing from the head table. '_It looks like I'm going to like it here at Hogwarts.'_

With that, he thanked a distracted and slightly flustered Professor Flitwick for giving him his schedule, gathered up his books and proceeded to his first class ever at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

**AN: Another chapter done. I'm sorry that it has taken so long, but on top of working long hours I am again flying around the US for business. The blessing of flying, however, is that it gives me time to write. The bad thing about flying is that just when I'm getting really into the flow of writing the pilot informs us that we are landing and I have to turn my laptop off. Oh well, damned if you do, damned if you don't. The next chapters will see the pace picking up as I don't want to get bogged down on a day to day story, especially when this story looks like it is going to go through several years of Hogwarts schooling and side adventures. Anyway, Cheers and thanks to all those who kept writing to encourage me to post again.**


	17. Chapter 17: Opportunities

**Freak of Nature**

Do you really think I own Harry Potter? If so, I've got this great deal for you on waterfront property for you in Florida and shares on a bridge in Brooklyn.

**AN: I'm enjoying writing this, spark, and aspects of death. I have to be in the right mood to write each one of them. If I start feeling that I 'have' to write a story, that's when I don't want to update it. So I'll keep updating as they come to me. Not going to abandon them, going to keep on truck'n. Please note that my Beta reader is unavailable these next two weeks, but I'm going to keep posting. All errors are my own and I apologize in advance if any slip through.**

**AN: I've received multiple emails and reviews for Freak of Nature suggesting that they don't like Harry evil and want him to do a 180 degree flip in his character or stop acting like an animal. To which I politely respond, what part of "Dark Harry," or "Animal Harry" don't you understand? The part where he kills people, or the part where he eats what he kills? The part where he doesn't understand the definition of an innocent? In the animal world the predators go after the young 'innocents' first because they are easier to catch and taste better. The character details that I started this story out with was that Harry was an innocent child that had the innocent beat out of him; he was about one moment away from a death similar to a concentration camp victim when his magic changed him. He is not a snuggly character, and I don't think I would term him good. On the other hand, I would not define him as bad or evil either any more than you can label a tiger or a lion evil for eating its prey or a deer fighting off the predator that hunts it. As far as cannibalism goes, yes, since he is technically a human it could be termed cannibalism, but he doesn't see himself as a human. I'm not going to go into the philosophical discussion of what makes us human, however Harry doesn't see himself as one and doesn't really feel that he relates to them, wizard or muggle. If you look at him as more of the wolf hiding out in sheep's clothing, it's easier to understand. After all, the wolf is hanging out in the sheep's clothing so that it can eventually eat the sheep… I don't in anyway condone my character, nor think that the way he deals with his problems is the right way to do it in our society. This is fiction. I set the character up with certain situations, character traits, skills/abilities, and lessons and then I allow his nature and the environment around him to shape him. Welcome to Harry Potter evolution style people. I felt it needed to be said again as people keep bringing it up.**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

'_thought'_

**Chapter 17: Opportunities**

"The only true way to prove that you have lost your inner child is if you don't laugh when you hear the word "poop"."

~Amanda

Poop, magical glow in the dark and make normal plants grown an incredible ten feet over night poop. Harry was sure that the fertilizer that they were using on their devil's snare and spiky bushes was not created by any god or creature of nature that Harry was familiar with, but that was what they were required to use when repotting their plants in their first Herbology class. Ok, so maybe they weren't using quantities of the waste product that would make the individual devil's snare or spiky bush grow ten feet tall, they were only using perhaps a gram of the glowing fecal matter per plant.

After all, who would want to create a ten foot tall semi-sentient spiky bush with a mean streak a mile long let alone a devils snare with ten foot long tentacles whose idea of fun was to strangle passer's by?

'_I would!' _Harry thought as he smiled to himself, his thoughts on the properties of glow in the dark magical fertilizer and the fun that could be had with plants running through his head. In fact, every time that his partner turned to look at the teacher, Harry took another clump of the glowing fertilizer and pushed it deep into the planter; deftly avoiding the view of the teacher and the thrashing tentacles and spikes of the plants with his inhuman speed.

'_He he, I can't wait to see what happens when the Gryffindors and Slytherins come in for their class tomorrow.' _Harry smirked to himself.

"Alright class, is everybody finished with their potting?" Professor Sprout asked as she looked around the class. Seeing all of the students' eyes looking up at her, she smiled and nodded before clapping her hands once.

"Good. Well, then please put away your supplies and leave your plants where they are, I will be around to label your pots so that you can see how they grow by next week." Sprout said with a smile as she ushered the students to put away their gloves, spare soil and fertilizer.

Harry smiled, and then quickly switched his potted plants with those of the student next to him while the other boy was putting away his gloves and bag of soil in their allotted places; it wouldn't do for him to be caught in a 'prank' so early in the year.

With that completed, the double period Herbology class was dismissed and Harry departed with his fellow housemates to go to lunch. Along the way his fellow classmates peppered him with questions.

"Where were you last night?" A boy dressed in Ravenclaw colors asked him.

"Dealing with the headmaster, he wanted to consult with me on the state of my adventures over the summer." Harry replied with a smile as he told a half truth.

Several of the girls in the crowd twittered and giggled at his answer, his dashing smile and handsome good looks. It was amazing that he had seemed to grow even taller and more muscular than he had been the previous evening. It was now official, in Harry's mind, the puberty fairy had come to Potterville, and Harry had been elected mayor. Harry now stood a good foot taller than the other first years, and his defined features and 'almost' glowing green eyes captured the hearts and minds of his fellow classmates.

"So what were your adventures this summer Harry?" The Patil sister in Ravenclaw robes asked as she looked up at Harry.

Harry smiled back at her, again contemplating Sirius's comments regarding twins, oil, and twister; the Patil sisters were definitely going to be stunners when the puberty fairy went to their town, and Harry was hoping to be elected 'mayor' of their individual 'towns' also.

"I was playing with Nundus and hunting in the wilds." Harry stated, adding another half truth that sounded almost too wild to be true. However, given that the wizarding world and their belief in the stories of that Lockheart fellow, the students all ended up staring at him and nodding in belief at his wild adventures.

Questions continued to be thrown at him, ranging from whether he really saved a maiden, which he stated yes in memory of Hermione, or if he had ever stopped a robbery, which he also stated yes in memory of his interactions with the thug and the hag in Knockturn Alley. Questions continued, and Harry tried to answer them all, even such mundane questions as his favorite color, (blood red) and his favorite food (meat).

Everything was going well until one overly inquisitive Ravenclaw asked one question too many.

"Harry, do you remember the night you defeated You-Know-Who?" A boy asked; Harry's brain immediately dubbed the boy 'he-who-would-soon-be-lunch.'

Harry stopped, causing the children walking with him to collide with each other at the abrupt halt of forward movement.

Turning a baleful glare at the child, Harry stepped up to the smaller boy, towering over the boy as Harry glared down at the boy.

"You mean do I remember the night my father and mother were murdered in front of me?" Harry asked, the wind starting to blow slightly around him and a shimmering heat started to form in an aura around his body.

The boy gulped and looked up at Harry's now glowing eyes; he could feel the heat that radiated off of Harry. The boy could only slowly nod, unable to break his gaze from the predator crouched over him, and unable to speak for fear that it would only come out as a squeak.

"Yessss" Harry hissed, struggling to keep his anger from turning his voice into parcel. Still, it had the proper result as the stale sent of urine wafted to Harry's nose as the boy lost bladder control.

A wet stain went down the front of the boy's robes, even as Harry took a quick step back.

Closing his eyes and shaking his head to clear the anger, Harry again looked at the smaller boy, and then looked around at the startled first years that had been inching away from the palpable aura of anger that Harry had been putting off.

Taking a deep breath to cleanse the anger from his system, Harry addressed the crowd.

"Yes, I remember the night Voldemort killed my family. I remember my mother pleading for him to kill her but let me live, and I remember that madman killing her anyway before casting the killing curse at me. This is the one and only time I will tell this tale, and spread the word that I will not be kind to the next person who mentions that night or the death of my parents." Harry related, catching the eyes of every student there, staring at them until they averted their eyes from the promise of pain that was present in Harry's eyes.

"Spread the word. I do not want to be bothered about this again, from anybody. Is that clear?" Harry asked, receiving muted nods from the surrounding students.

Realizing that he may be bordering on losing the image he was trying to portray to the wizarding public, Harry purposefully broke the mood.

Smiling, Harry asked, "So have any of you heard the joke about professors Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore walking into a pub?"

The children around him almost sighed with relief as they turned to walk with him and started trading jokes back and forth on their way to lunch; quickly separating from the urine soaked boy who ran off to his dorm to change his robes.

* * *

Lunch had been interesting, not for anything that had directly happened to Harry, but for what Harry had observed.

Draco Bastard received two owls during lunch, one with a message bearing the Black family crest, and the other the Malfoy family crest.

Nobody in the Great Hall but Harry and Draco knew the contents of the letter from the House of Black. But everybody was able to see Draco's reaction as he read the letter, then proceeded to sneer at it and light it on fire with a candle that was on the table.

Draco made a production of reading the letter from his father, and then loudly proclaiming that he would be Draco Malfoy by dinner that evening. His comments about "wait till his father heard how he had been treated" were still somewhat muted by the general knowledge that the House of Malfoy had been significantly injured by the loss of Narcissa and the dowry from the House of Black. However Harry watched out of the corner of his eye how several Slytherin students made a point of going up to talk to Draco or shake his hand as the boy proceeded to the head table and left the hall with Professor Snape.

As far as Harry was concerned, Draco soon-to-be-Malfoy had sealed his fate to that of House Malfoy and its inevitable destruction at Harry's hands. Narcissa had described to Harry how Draco was turning into a little clone of Lucius Malfoy, however a Mother's love made her plead for Draco's life and for a chance for him to join the House of Black and Harry's protection.

Harry understood that even in the wilds that the love of a mother was natural. However he made it clear to Narcissa that even on the veldts of Africa, a mother would defend her child, but knew when to sacrifice the life of a child so that the mother could survive to raise additional children. The glow in Harry's eyes when he had explained it to Narcissa Black had punctuated his statement, and she had ended up silently nodding in understanding of the message that Harry was giving her; Draco would have one chance and one chance only.

Draco had just wasted that chance, and now the downfall of the House of Malfoy would be Draco's downfall and destruction as well.

Harry's had squinted his eyes in thought as he watched Draco pompously pass down the aisle across the table from him on his way out of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The puffed up chest had signaled to Harry that Draco was simply asking to be destroyed; even young animals learn that those who stand out in the herd tend to be eaten.

Alas, even Professor Snape looked to be heading quickly towards a second confrontation with Harry, as the billowing bat like man had taken the opportunity to focus his sneer directly at Harry as Snape walked out of the Great Hall while escorting Draco.

'_We will have a reckoning Mr. Snape, oh yes we will.' _Harry thought to himself, for every predator knew that to gaze into the eyes of another animal was to issue a challenge, and Professor Snape had now challenged Harry twice in twenty four hours.

* * *

The last class of the day for the Ravenclaws' had been transfiguration with Professor McGonagall.

Upon entering the classroom with his fellow Ravenclaws, and a smattering of Hufflepuffs who were all bunched up in a herd together, Harry noticed a familiar cat imperiously sitting on the teacher's desk.

Harry internally smirked, as this presented an opportunity for both some fun as well as a chance to establish his position as a leader in the student body; and perhaps the wizarding world at large.

Dropping his books on a desk by the aisle, Harry smirked to himself as he stuck his right hand in the pocket of his robes and proceeded to the front of the class.

"Hello there you cute kitty. How are you today?" Harry asked as he reached out to pet the cat that he knew was the animagus form of Professor McGonagall.

The cat was at first not amused, and if the cat's glare could kill, Harry would have been six feet under. However the cat merely stayed sitting there, not showing any reactions as Harry pet her; McGonagall's thinking was that the entire class was not present yet and so it wasn't time for her to show off her incredible animagus transfiguration skills.

Harry merely smiled, as the glare didn't faze him at all.

"Does kitty want some catnip?" Harry asked with a smirk, removing the catnip stash from his right hand pocket and sticking a ball of it in the face of the cat.

The cat's gaze focused on the catnip with laser like intensity, and then its left eye started to twitch as the children in the class could tell that the cat was trying to resist the temptation of the catnip.

Harry was undaunted, and merely smiled large. "Here. You can have it; I've got more here if you want it also." Harry stated, as he used his hand holding the catnip to rub on the cat's head and over its face, his other hand digging out another ball of catnip and placing it on the teacher's desk next to the cat.

That seemed to do the trick, as Professor McGonagall gave into the temptation and started forcefully pushing her little tabby head into Harry's hand that had the catnip in it.

The cat was now meowing happily, almost drunkenly, as she gave into her addiction.

"Here you go kitty, can't have you going without." Harry stated, as he pulled out another couple piles of catnip from his pocket and laid them across the desk. "I bought these for a friend, but you seem to be enjoying them, so you can have all the catnip you want." Harry finished.

By now McGonagall was rolling in the piles of catnip, and pawing them across the desk, totally oblivious to the class of children that was coming into her room. She was so oblivious, that she didn't even note that the time for class had come and that several Hufflepuff students had trickled in late.

Harry stood next to the teacher's desk, watching the teacher scratch her feline back against the table covered with catnip. He smirked down at the now stoned teacher as things were going exactly as he'd hoped.

A minute passed, and then another minute passed. Finally Ms. Patil commented that the teacher should have been there by now, and that Professor McGonagall was known for always being punctual.

While Ms. Patil was complaining at the lack of a teacher, McGonagall was 'meowing' like crazy, high as a kite and unaware of the students waiting for her to start class.

Nobody else under stood the 'meowing,' but Harry interpreted McGonagall's meowing to say, "[Merlin I love catnip! But oh Maeve I've got the munchies and could really do with some cold cream and something to nibble on.] She meowed.

This statement, and Ms. Patil's complaint, was just the cue that Harry needed.

"Well I see that our teacher is a bit indisposed at the moment. However, I figure that I could probably teach the class seeing as she isn't here." Harry stated with a smile to the other students.

Several students laughed, thinking that Harry was joking. After a few seconds of laughter, the other kids realized that Harry wasn't laughing with them, and their laughs turned into either silence or a few chuckles at Harry's expense.

One Hufflepuff, whom Harry hadn't met yet, scoffed at Harry, "Oy! What makes you think that you can teach us transfiguration? What, just because you're the bloody Boy-who-lived or something doesn't mean you know dick about transfiguration."

The boy and his friend's laughter at that statement were changed to a gasp, as Harry calmly swished his wand, and a saucer of cream was conjured on the teacher's desk.

The gasp was prefaced by the cat letting out a loud 'Meow' as the tabby dived face first into the milk, splashing it all over its fur and causing its face to look a bit rumpled and soaked with the white substance.

Harry smirked at the student's silence, and then aimed his wand at a quill that was on the teacher's desk, effectively transfiguring the quill into a slab of pâté on an ornate gold and jade inlaid china saucer.

The cat once again Meowed loudly at the creation of the pâté and now started to gobble up the pureed meat as quickly as it could, before rolling over again on its back and continuing to happily play with the remaining catnip.

Harry merely smirked and raised an eyebrow at the now silent Hufflepuff boy and his friends . Harry prefaced the look with, "Now, I think I've established that I know a thing or two about transfiguration. I'm happy to show a few more examples if you like, though I must warn you that my next example will be to turn you into a mouse for the cat to play with."

At the mention of 'a mouse,' the cat looked up at Harry and then the boy, licked its lips laboriously, before going back to drinking cream, eating pâté and playing in the catnip.

"Um, uh, no. I think you've made your point." The boy acknowledged a bit fearfully.

"Excellent then!" Harry said with a smile, he pointed his wand at the chalkboard and flicked a spell at it that caused the board to show the notes for the lesson.

Here was another perfect use for Scorpius's memories of his time at Hogwarts. Though Dumbledore had been the teacher at the time of Scorpius's lessons, Sirius had affirmed that McGonagall also started off her first transfiguration lesson by having the children change matchsticks into needles.

The students gave Harry their undivided attention as he walked them through the steps of 'intent' and 'will' as well as the proper wand movements and pronunciation for making the class's first transfiguration.

The students took liberal notes, and Harry made sure to help all of the students understand the theory as well as interspersing some of the lecture and practical work with interesting tidbits about what can happen when people mixed up the words or movements to a transfiguration; making the class laugh and pay that much more attention to Harry's lesson. Harry wasn't about to tell them that Scorpius Black had used the 'transfiguration mistakes' as methods of torture for muggles, but then again the lessons were better served for both the students and Harry's purposes when he made it sound like funny instances of wizards making mistakes.

By the end of the class Harry had labeled it an absolute success as not only had the students all successfully made the transfiguration, but most of all they were all looking at him with awe and a bit of worship.

Harry had smiled politely at the thanks and praise, happy with himself for the completion of a successful ploy. Harry ended up leaving with the rest of the students as the cat continued to mindlessly play with the catnip and food he had conjured and transfigured.

By that evening, word of Harry teaching the class and his seamless conjuration and transfiguration had spread through Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Throughout the evening Harry was internally producing an evil chuckle as the older students in Ravenclaw came up to him for advice on their transfiguration projects or homework. The student body was starting to accept him as their leader.

Harry's plans for the wizarding sheep were coming along perfectly.

* * *

After spiriting Luna away from her house via the 'Nundu express,' Harry greeted Luna with a hug under the moonlit sky.

"I missed you." Harry stated into her full head of wavy blonde hair, enjoying the feeling of his friend hugging him back. This was the first person who had ever really been a friend to him, and though he was harsh with the rest of the world, there was a certain sort of vulnerability that Harry felt when he thought about his friend Luna.

"I missed you too." Luna stated, not wanting to end the hug with her only friend.

Finally pushing out from one another, they looked at each other. Or really Luna looked up at Harry.

"Wow Harry, you've grown." She stated with a smile and a bit of a dreamy look in her eyes. Stepping back she realized that he was almost a foot taller than he had been when she had seen him a few days ago.

"You've grown a lot!" She continued looking up at him, and admiring the more mature cut of his face.

"That's not fair; I don't want you to mature faster than me." She said in a pout, but then looked down away from him, her curtain of hair covering her face she mumbled, "I don't want you to outgrow me as your friend." She added under her breath.

Of course with Harry's incredible hearing he heard every word of her mumbled addition.

Reaching forward, Harry pulled her head up and hugged her again. "Don't be silly Luna, you're my only friend. I'll never outgrow you." Harry stated with a bit of youthful overstatement.

Luna clung to Harry, her mind was in a bit of turmoil at the possibility of losing Harry like she had everybody else in her life. Her mother had died, her friends had left her, and her father had lost himself in a fantasy world with only small amounts of time for his daughter in between writing articles for the Quibbler.

She wanted to stay Harry's friend forever, she wanted just one relationship to be able to hold on to no matter what. So in a very Luna like fashion, she stated the first thing that came into her mind.

"I want to be like you Harry. How can I be like you?" Luna asked as she broke the hug with Harry and sat down on the log behind her in the moonlit clearing.

Harry cringed, "I'm not one hundred percent sure why I'm growing so fast Luna, but I have a pretty good idea." Harry half answered her request, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck as he averted his eyes from her.

"Well tell me what you do know then." Luna stated with a smile.

Harry's head whipped up to look at her. He'd learned a lot in his few days on this planet, and most of them were not good lessons to share.

"I'm not sure if you'd like to know how I came to be how I am." Harry replied while staring down at the seated Luna, the moon lit her hair and made it glow; helping Harry to imagine that her name was derived from the almost luminescent glow that was upon her.

"Nonsense silly, I'm your friend. Friends share, and I want to be like you." Luna stated with a smile.

Harry crouched down so that he was at Luna's level, and really looked at her. His tone serious, "Luna, I'm not sure you would like me if you really knew about me. Besides, the way I learned to be like this was really really painful. I don't think I could ever cause you that type of pain." Harry answered honestly.

Luna looked at Harry for a few seconds, and then her lip started to quiver as she fought back some tears. "I don't want to lose you like I've lost everybody else Harry. I've lost everything else, and it really really hurts already." She said, at this point the tears were trickling down her cheeks.

"If I lost you too, I don't think my heart could take it." She finished, this time prefaced with a hiccup-sob as she really fought hard not to cry at the thought of losing somebody else she cared for.

Harry couldn't stand her tears. There was just something about Luna that called to him, and to make her crying hit him at a visceral and instinctual level that he hadn't felt with any other being on the planet. Even his relationships with Mutwa, the first being to ever listen to him and treat him as an equal, didn't measure up to how his emotions felt about Luna. Harry couldn't put a word to them, as He'd never felt anything like this since the night his mother died, but he thought that this feeling may be his heart aching.

Harry reached forward and pulled Luna off of the log and onto his lap, turning his crouch into sitting on the dewy grass and twigs of the clearing.

Harry couldn't help but smell her hair as she cried softly in his arms. For some reason, she smelt like what he thought 'home' would smell like. He didn't know what to say when confronted with the crying girl, so he just pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her, and thought for a few second about what to say.

Luna sat there shaking in his arms in turmoil at the thought of losing another loved one. In her mind she was reliving the death of her mother, Ginny telling her that she wasn't good enough to be a friend, and her father's daydreams which led him off into another fantasy land where she couldn't completely follow. Her reliving the nightmares of past memories was interrupted by Harry's voice.

"Ok Luna. Alright I'll help you learn to be like me as much as I can." Harry stated in a muffled tone, his forehead resting against the side of her head and his face in her hair.

Pulling back, she turned in his lap to look up at him. Her smile seemed to light up the night for Harry, and though her eyes were a bit bloodshot from the tears, the moisture on her face made it that much more radiant in the reflected moonlight.

"Really?" She questioned happily.

Harry bit his lip, and nodded to her silently.

Luna squealed in joy, and pulled Harry towards her for a quick kiss on the lips. Harry's eyes were shocked wide open.

By the time she pulled back from him, both friends were smiling at each other silently for the moment.

Harry's thoughts switched to how he would go about helping her make the changes, and figured that working with her 'mind' would be the best way to start. That way Harry could imprint the lessons that he had learned to her directly, rather than watching her learn the hard way like he did.

Harry's smile faded from his face and he turned serious, but he didn't move the girl off of his lap; even though his butt was getting cold from the wet ground.

"Alright, we are going to have to work on your mind first, and I'll be teaching you Occlumency." Harry directed. "Unfortunately, the only way I know how to do this is the fast and painful method, so you have to promise not to hate me if I teach you what I know." Harry darted his eyes away from her, afraid to hear her answer.

"Harry," Luna stated, drawing Harry's attention back to her, "No matter what you do, I'll never hate you. I promise." Luna stated with an honest smile.

Harry looked back into her eyes and grinned, but then the grin faded at what he was about to do to his only friend.

"Ok, well then, tonight you learn Occlumency." Harry stated, as he removed his arms from hugging Luna and moved to place his fingertips on her forehead.

"Now look into my eyes, and get ready, because this is going to hurt… a lot." Harry explained with concern in his voice.

"Legilimens!" He yelled, diving deep into her mind.

The peace of the forest was split by the girlish wails of agony as Luna forcefully relived her life. No animal or human would sleep well in the forest that night.

* * *

Elsewhere in Great Britain that night, a half embodied specter of a man with crazy eyes and wild hair, long translucent white robes that disappeared a foot above the ground, and no feet to be seen, slowly floated towards the gates to 'HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Feltham.' The moonlight lit up the silent character, and all calls for the being to stop went unheeded. The terrified guards tried to get the specter to stop, even physical force was repelled as their truncheons failed to gain a response from the specter. All displays of force merely bounced off the being as the specter opened the locked doors and floated inside the prison and the main security station. Screams of agony punctuated the loss of all electricity, phone, and radio service as the prison was cut off from the outside world.

The rest of the night was punctuated by screams as the prison was painted red with the blood of its inhabitants.

* * *

**AN: So Harry and Luna are beginning to grow together, the destabilization of the world is slowly gaining speed, and Harry's plans are starting to germinate and grow. Hope you enjoyed it. Cheers!**


	18. Chapter 18: Discord

Freak of Nature

Do you really think I own Harry Potter? If so, I've got this great deal for you on waterfront property for you in Florida and shares on a bridge in Brooklyn.

**AN: I'm enjoying writing this, spark, and aspects of death. I have to be in the right mood to write each one of them. If I start feeling that I 'have' to write a story, that's when I don't want to update it. So I'll keep updating as they come to me. With that said, I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a long while on either of my Harry stories, but I was seriously HP'd out and I didn't want to get to the point where I ended up abandoning this story. It's a lot of fun, and I plan on sticking with it. Thanks for your patience. **

**AN: Special thanks goes to DragonsHeart who was my second pair of eyes for this chapter. Any mistakes are mine and not hers.**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

'_thought'_

**Chapter 18: Discord**

"By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed."  
~Sallust

By the time Harry returned to Hogwarts the birds were chirping as the shade of night turned from darkness to that grey color that happens just before dawn. Harry had left Luna safely tucked into her bed at the Rookery, the young girl had moaned and tried to cling to Harry as he divested himself of her and carefully tucked her under her sheets. A little part in the back of his mind made him want to stay, but Harry knew that he had to leave if he wanted to get back to Hogwarts in time to pretend that he had slept the night through in his dorm, so had left Luna to her dreams.

Harry and Luna had worked on her mind through the night, and it had been surprisingly painful to the young girl as they not only brought a form of order to the chaos of her mind but also relived the death of Luna's mother and watched the memories of Xenophilius slowly drifting out of his daughter's life in his sorrow induced eccentricity. The experience had left Luna exhausted, and she passed out soon after completion.

Harry had gathered the slumped unconscious form of Luna into his arms to keep her warm, only carrying her to bed after the sound of her breathing and heart beat slipped into a more natural sleeping rhythm.

Now it was back to Hogwarts, as apparently the Ravenclaws were scheduled to have a potions class today before being let out of class for the weekend, and Harry wanted to begin dealing with the greasy apothecary with delusions of grandeur, aka Professor Snape. Nobody challenged a predator and got away without a response. If Snape wanted to play that game with Harry, he was going to be in for a rude awakening.

* * *

Breakfast went well. Several of the Ravenclaw students took the time to stop by Harry's seat in the Great Hall to say hello or ask him some transfiguration related questions. Harry was magnanimous in his replies and pasted a smile on his face as the students smiled and tried to cozy up to him. Harry relied heavily on the memories of Scorpio and the training Sirius had forced upon him on how to act respectfully and confidently towards the students; never letting the mask slip, yet not over playing the role too much so that he came across as being boorish or appearing to be a braggart. Sirius had told Harry the trick to winning the ladies and influencing men is to have a certain level of swagger, a kind of cocky air that says, 'I'm good and I know it, you want me or you want to be like me,' yet to never go into the realm of the annoying braggart.

Draco Malfoy had the braggart role all locked up, and there were several partially hidden looks from the Slytherin table that showed that people were noticing the differences between Harry's actions and manners versus Draco's. Harry glanced over at Draco, his examination of the blonde was spotted and Harry's analytical look received a cocky sneer in return.

'_Dear Draco will have to learn a lesson soon, perhaps he'll get the point after tonight.' _Harry thought to himself as he looked away from the smirking inbred albino.

Harry turned his attention back to his classmates and chuckled at the appropriate time when a student made a joke that Harry didn't really take the time to think about.

Collecting his bag, Harry got up and started to head for the Great Hall doors, the students around him quickly grabbed their things and proceeded to follow Harry's lead.

At the head table, Albus Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he too left the Great Hall and proceeded to his office.

* * *

Dumbledore had ten years to make plans for the molding of the Boy-Who-Lived, and he had tailored and tweaked those plans down to the finest details. With Harry Potter rejoining the wizarding world, it was now time to sit back and watch those plans play out before him; at least that is what he hoped would happen.

Albus Dumbledore was having problems keeping tabs on Harry. The headmaster assumed that the castle's charms were on the fritz as every time he tried to check up on where Harry was and watch the boy's interactions through the magic of the castle, all Albus received was a view of the toilet in the staff water closet; Dumbledore was still shaken from his view of Professor Trelawney going number 2 in the loo.

However the charms that allowed Dumbledore to monitor classrooms were still working and the headmaster knew that he could watch the proceedings in the potions class. It was time for one of his carefully tailored plans to come to fruition, as Dumbledore knew that the Potter boy must be made to be humbled and kept that way in order for Dumbledore to manipulate, aka 'guide', Harry to his proper destiny. That is where Severus Snape and his loathing of all things 'Potter' came into play.

Reclining in the high backed chair in the headmaster's office, Albus Dumbledore plucked a lemon sherbet out of his candy dish and popped it in his mouth before tapping his wand on his desk and watching as a view of the potions classroom came into view; as if a camera had been mounted in a corner of the room. The view was a general view of the classroom, not the most detailed and not capturing every aspect of the room, but it still gave Albus a view of the seated children and would show the back of Severus's head when he arrived in the room and proceeded to teach. Albus saw that he was right on time, as the view of the room showed Professor Snape snap the door open before billowing into the classroom.

'_Showtime!'_ Albus though with a puckered smile, the sweet and sour tang of the candy making his face screw up in a weird sort of look.

* * *

'_Showtime,' _Harry thought to himself with a slightly evil smile as he watched Severus Snape stomp into the room, black robes billowing behind.

Snape proceeded to the front of the room where the teacher's work table was covered in bubbling and hissing potions, small steaming silver cauldrons, and jar upon jar of rare or shocking potions ingredients. Then, Snape turned with a dramatic flip of his billowing robe and quickly began to address the classroom of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in a deep but quiet voice.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," Snape began in a quiet voice that traveled throughout the room. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses - I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."**1.**

Snape's somewhat quiet melodramatic monologue was mostly ignored by Harry, but Harry noted out of the corner of his eye that many of the students were both captivated and intimidated by the dark clothes wearing professor.

About then, Snape finished his speech and swung to face Harry, "Mr. Potter!" Snape snapped while raising his voice, obviously hoping to catch Harry off guard as the students around Harry all jumped at the sudden change in tone.

Harry merely let a small smile grow on his face and raised an eyebrow as he locked eyes with the professor.

The slight smile on Harry's face aggravated Severus, so he spat out a second statement, "Mr. Potter, Why haven't you answered my addressing you? What, cat got your tongue?" The professor snarled, locking eyes with Harry but not daring to test Harry's mental barriers at that moment.

Harry continued to just stare at the professor for a moment, raising the level of tension in the room for a second before calmly answering Snape, "I'm sorry Sir, was there a question that I was supposed to answer when you said my name?" He politely replied. The smile on Harry's face looked so innocent that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. Yet to Snape, he saw the smile and could only see the image of his hated nemesis James Potter.

A vein in Snape's forehead started to throb as the potions professor's pallid complexion began to redden.

**"Fine Potter," Snape snidely replied. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"**

"Why Draught of Living Death of course." Harry answered back politely, not letting his mask of civility slip as all the eyes on the class seemed to ping-pong back and forth between Harry and the professor.

Snape started to get a bit more angry, "Where would you find a bezoar Potter?" The professor snarled, the students quickly looked from the questioning teacher to the student for the answer.

"A stomach of a goat sir. I believe the closest batch would be behind Aberforth Dumbledore's bar in Hogsmeade." Harry quickly answered, still smiling back at the professor. Only Snape could see that Harry's eyes didn't match the smile and were challenging him.

Snape accepted the challenge and started to rapid fire questions at Harry.

"Fast! What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Snape lashed out.

Harry rapidly replied, his smile growing even larger, "Nothing sir, same thing as aconite actually."

"How long must the lacewing flies be stewed before adding them to a polyjuice potion?" Snape bit out, his face growing more and more red in color as he yelled questions faster and faster.

Harry was replying just as quickly as the questions were coming at him, Harry's smile growing larger as Snape's sneering scowl grew deeper, "Twenty-one days sir."

"Final ingredient to the laxative potion!" Snape yelled.

By now the Dumbledore's view of the room showed the student's heads seeming to pivot back and forth like watching a bouncing ball; first looking at Snape, then whipping to look at Harry, then back again and repeat. The combined class of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were staring open mouthed at the scene going on before them.

"Agrimony sir." Harry replied, continuing the façade of being at peace while Snape fell apart.

Severus, who was about to lose any remaining composure that he had yelled out one more question at Harry, spittle flying from his mouth in his rage, "What's the final color and composure of the Felix Felicis potion upon completion?" Snape roared.

Harry waited for two seconds, merely smiling as the professor began to pant in pent up anger before calmly and quietly answered, "Why it's a gold color sir, with droplets that seem to leap about the surface of the potion like little goldfish. Is that what we are going to be learning today sir, as I thought that was an above NEWT level potion?" Harry politely replied.

The students eyes all went big as they turned and stared at Snape.

It was at that moment that Mount Snivellus blew its top.

"BAAAAAAHHH! Fifty points from Ravenclaw for being an insufferable know it all and report to the Headmaster for detention!" Snape yelled at the top of his lungs. Sweat stained the professor's collar and Severus had spittle flying from his mouth in great gobs that splattered across the front rows of the classroom.

Heaving and panting in front of the class, the class was all stunned to silence as the normally stayed sneering professor totally lost his composure.

Harry's smile turned to a quick frown, and he dropped his hands to the desk as if he was going to push himself up from his desk, a malevolent sparkle came to his eyes.

As Harry's palms hit the top of the table, so did an elemental wave of air crush and splatter every single caldron, simmering potion and supposedly unbreakable ingredient bottle on Snape's desk; flinging a mist of pureed magical ingredients, animal flesh, potions and highly toxic chemicals over the professor and into the air around the man.

It happened in an instant, and that wasn't even the full extent of the damage, for as the particle mist hit the still burning fire that had been heating the small silver caldron, the particle spray turned into an immolating blast of fire and concussive force similar to an aerial fuel bomb igniting.

The entire castle shook as the students throughout the classroom, the chairs, the contents on the desks and even the desks themselves were blown over by the pure concussive BOOM that rocked the room; the immediate wave of heat seemed to flash dry the skin on the student's faces and the scent of burnt hair filled the room as the students' eyebrows and bangs were scorched and sizzled by the heat.

All of the students were dazed and it took at least a minute before the ringing in their ears got to the point where they could hear the mix of moaning and groaning from the other students around them. Harry was also similarly affected by scorched clothing and hair and had been pushed off his feet and tumbled backwards with the rest of the class by the force of the explosion; though his skin had quickly armored over at the instance of the explosion, saving him from any real bruising or broken bones.

Pushing the desk that had fallen on top of him off till it was no longer pinning his legs, Harry got up and stepped his way towards the front of the room where Snape had been standing when the explosion went off.

The front of the room was charred black, and the supposedly charmed stone walls were pitted and scorched from the force of the explosion and the release of the magic that had been contained in the potions and ingredients that had been on the teacher's desk.

Harry walked around behind the now cracked potions desk that had lined the front of the room, and looked down at the charred barely wheezing remains of Severus Snape.

Harry cackled evilly inside his head, _'Wa ha ha ha ha! So funny! That went a hell of a lot better than I hoped it would.'_ He chortled to himself internally.

The body of Severus Snape was a bloody blistered charred remains that could be likened more to a corpse than a living human being. The potion master's greasy hair had melted and stuck in clumps to the man's scalp in bubbling masses while the formerly hooked nose had been melted off the man's face along with his ears, lips, and his once dark eyes. A small gasping breath seemed to wheeze in and out of the man whose flesh seemed to bubble and flake off even as Harry stood grinning down at the former tormentor. Harry remembered catching a peak at the TV through the cracks in his cupboard at the Dursleys, and remembered seeing Dudley and Vernon watch the first Star Wars movie. Right now, Severus Snape's charbroiled body reminded Harry of the remains of Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle after the stormtroopers had gotten done roasting them.

A whooshing sound and a flash of orange light caught out of the corner of his eye was Harry's only warning that he was no longer by himself standing next to Snape.

Quickly dropping a mask of fear and sorrow onto his face, Harry quickly turned around and saw that the Headmaster had just appeared via phoenix fire.

"Headmaster! Headmaster! You've got to help him! I don't know what happened. He was shouting questions, then he sent me out of the room and I felt a flash of magic when I was disappointed that he didn't like my answers. And now Professor Snape is hurt! You've got to help him sir." Harry said, thinking to himself about every time he had been hurt or insulted as a child so that he could make his eyes tear up. Harry's hands grabbed a hold of the headmaster's robes and tugged on them in turn with his pleas for help; in reality his actions where causing Dumbledore more distraction than good as the old man was trying to fend Harry off so that he could start helping Severus. Presious moments were passing in which Dumbledore needed to save Snapes life, and Harry was secretly having a blast waylaying the Headmaster.

"Now now Mr. Potter, it will be alright. Let go Harry. Let go of my robes dear boy so that I can help the man." Dumbledore stated, at first torn between being grandfatherly towards Harry but eventually just pushing Harry away so that he could start firing healing spells at Snape.

Both Dumbledore and his phoenix worked tirelessly for the next few minutes trying to stabilize the horribly wounded professor. Neither of them noticed Harry who was smirking down at them with his back to the rest of the classroom.

Another couple of minutes progressed before Madame Pomfrey ran into the room wheezing and panting from sprinting through the castle.

Looking over the children and seeing that none of them were in immediate danger, the school healer picked her way through the debris until she stood next to the Headmaster and Harry at the front of the room.

Poppy gasped when she saw the body of Severus, and she immediately joined the Headmaster in casting spells to try and save the life of the potions professor.

After another minute, Poppy stated that Snape was stable enough to be taken to St. Mungos. Then with a flash of fire, Poppy, Dumbledore, and the toasted Snape disappeared from the room.

Behind them they left a moaning group of students with scrapes, burns, cuts and the occasional broken bone.

Harry allowed himself another couple seconds to savor the moment and capture the memory to share with Sirius later before turning to face the class with a mask of determination.

Pulling his wand from his sleeve, Harry quickly set about righting the desks and freeing the students trapped underneath the classroom's furniture before he started to use healing spells to mend the students.

Harry organized the least injured students to spread the word to the heads of houses of what happened while teaching a couple of the quicker Ravenclaw students simple healing spells that would mend any cuts or scrapes.

'_Mustn't lead the lambs to slaughter before they are nice and plump and ready.'_ Harry internally smirked as he played the part of hero and leader to the injured first years. '_After all, even the shepherd will save the lost and injured lamb that will eventually adorn his plate.' _Harry continued to think to himself as he organized the Hufflepuffs into teams of litter-bearers who helped to move the two students with broken legs.

Harry maneuvered the situation perfectly. By the time the Headmaster would return to deal with Harry, the entire school would be talking about The-Boy-Who-Lived teaching spells equal to a Ravenclaw far above his years, as well as the fact that he was as loyal as any Hufflepuff in that he cared and tended to his classmates even when he was also 'injured.' The Gryffindors in turn were mollified about Harry not getting sorted into their house; half of them liking Harry because of his courage to charge to the front of the room to help Snape, the other half because he was responsible for frying Snape.

Yes, by the time the evening meal rolled around and the Headmaster returned to the school to deal with Harry, the story about the Harry's 'accidental magic' and 'savior skills' would have spread throughout the school and even throughout wizarding Britain.

In other news, throughout the United Kingdom there were many toasts raised to The-Boy-Who-Lived for frying Severus Snape to a crisp; the Boy-Who-Lived had also become the boy who had fulfilled the dreams of the majority of witches and wizards who had gone to Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry had sacrificed his day to playing the hero for the Hogwarts students, though he had thought his day turned out rather well and had been unable to keep himself from laughing his head off at dinner when Pomona Sprout had come running into the Great Hall screaming for reinforcements.

'_Who knew that Devil's Snare got frisky when given large quantities of fertilizer?' _Harry joked to himself as he heard the tale of what the seventh year Ravenclaw boys had seen when they followed Professor Sprout back to the greenhouses and found one overflowing with amorous Devil's Snare tentacles. Apparently the two sixth year Hufflepuff girls who helped their head of house water plants had been too busy gossiping to each other to realize the danger before they walked into the greenhouse where the first year Ravenclaws had held their class.

According to the 7th year Ravenclaw perfect who had been there, speaking in almost an academic tone, the age old interplay between tentacle plant and hot school girls had taken place at Hogwarts, and both female teachers assistants were well worn out by the action and tentacle interplay by the time that Sprout had returned with enough students to drive back the writhing vines.

Harry was laughing his head off internally and made a mental note to Legilimens one of the 7th year boys so that he could capture the memory. Harry was especially enthused in hearing about the long term results of his prank when his superior hearing picked up Professor Sprout's mumbled comments about the girls being 'lucky' and that Professor Sprout now 'knew what her night would be filled with since the loss of her private stash in the reserve greenhouse.'

All in all Harry called the day a wonderful success, he just had to deal with the headmaster and any ramifications of the potions class. Fortunately for Harry, Hogwarts had been kind enough to show him exactly what the Headmaster had seen of the interaction between Harry and Snape, and Harry was relieved to note that all hints of Harry's possible wrong doing were totally invisible given the angle of the shot. The show merely made it appear that Harry may have released a rather large bout of accidental magic; which wasn't unheard of for first year students in the first week of Hogwarts.

It came as no surprise when the summons had been passed to him at supper that he was to report to the Headmaster's office after they ate. The note had stated that the password to the Headmaster's office was 'cockroach clusters,' a password and candy that Harry took personal insult from; though the Headmaster didn't have a clue that Harry considered cockroaches to be his siblings.

Growling internally at another wasted opportunity to kill the Headmaster once and for all, Harry finished his rather raw steak that the Hogwarts elves had made especially for him, and proceeded towards the Headmaster's office.

Noticing that the Headmaster hadn't been at dinner, Harry soon learned why as when he opened the door to the Headmaster's office he saw a rather rotund man eating at a table across from Dumbledore. The man had a bowler hat sitting on a seat next to him and his entire clothing and robe was made out of a sort of tweed the color of brown mud. The overly jovial look that spread across the man's face at the sight of Harry, that and Harry's brief silent Legilimens of the man, quickly told Harry that he was standing in the presence of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

"Harry my boy! How good to see you son." Fudge stated, hopping out of his seat and marching the short distance to Harry before taking Harry's hand and pumping it up and down in an enthusiastic handshake.

Harry thought fast, and immediately posted a 'thrilled' smile across his face and enthusiastically returned the handshake of the plump politician. "Why Minister Fudge! I didn't know that you would be here. Wow! It's a real pleasure to meet you in person sir, a real pleasure. I'm a big fan of you and your work at the ministry." Harry replied, his statements causing a noticeable reaction in the Minister as Fudge seemed to puff his chest up and the man's smile grew larger. Harry noticed Dumbledore's usually twinkling eyes stopped twinkling for a moment at Harry's statement, but the lapse in grandfatherly airs was quickly covered up.

The reality of Harry's thoughts were completely the opposite of his words. Sirius and Harry had spoken about Fudge and his corrupt ministry. In fact, one of Sirius's jokes about Fudge was that 'Lucius Malfoy had spent so much time kissing Cornelius's ass and bribing the Minister into Malfoy's back pocket, that when Fudge spoke, the Minister's breath smelled like hair care products, and when Lucius shat, it looked like Fudge.'

Then again, Sirius also made jokes about always being 'serious,' but Harry could usually reign in his godfather's humor by making comments about a hex that replicated the 'dangers' of dropped soap in prison showers; that usually shut Sirius up right away.

"Why my dear boy, I am so sorry that you had to witness what happened today in your potions class. Dreadful, simply a dreadful accident and example of powerful accidental magic of course." Fudge stated, interrupting Harry's thoughts.

Harry smiled up at Fudge with an adoring smile, especially since he noticed that Dumbledore didn't especially like Fudge's statement.

"Now Cornellius, a man has been dreadfully injured and could die as a result of Mr. Potter's actions. Surely you don't think he should go unpunished for his actions?" Dumbledore stated, trying to give Harry a look that would cow Harry's enthusiasm and hopefully drill home how serious the situation was.

However Fudge would have none of Dumbledore's thinking on punishing Harry, here was a potentially incredible political tool to be used after all, the Minister was thinking.

"Pish Posh, Dumbledore." Cornelius stated, scowling at Dumbledore before turning back to Harry and smiling down at the boy and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, "It was purely an accident of course, and we don't punish children when they turn their parents blue or incinerate the vegetables with accidental magic after all. The boy's wand was away after all, and we all know wandless magic is impossible. It was an accident, wasn't it my boy?" Cornelius finished, patting Harry reassuringly on his shoulder.

Harry ducked his head to hide the smirk that threatened to spill out of him, and bit the side of his cheek hard to inspire the proper pained teary look required for the situation.

Harry sniffed, and then sniffled again while pretending to wipe his nose with the back of his sleeve before looking up at the Minister of Magic, "Gee sir, I really don't know what happened. I never wanted to hurt anybody, and it totally happened by accident. I was just trying to answer the professor's questions. Sniff Sniff. I just wanted him to like me and I really don't know what happened." Harry finished, looking up at Fudge with crocodile tears in his eyes.

Fudge beamed down at Harry and retrieved a gold monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Harry. Harry used it to dry his eyes, and then blew a big wad of snot in it before handing it back to the Minister of Magic, internally smirking at Fudge trying to hide his disgust at taking back the soaking and snot filled handkerchief.

"There there my boy. See Dumbledore, it was a simple case of accidental magic and the boy is sorry. Nothing more we can ask. Now run along Mr. Potter, it's no doubt time for you to return to your dorms." Cornelius stated in a fatherly smiling tone while ushering Harry towards the door.

Harry didn't fight the dismissal, and hurried along outside the door as he heard Dumbledore's stammered dispute with the Minister's decision.

The door of the headmaster's office closed behind him, and Harry's tears were fully dried and a smirk painted his face by the time he had gotten down the steps and past the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's offices.

Harry looked around the hallway outside the gargoyle before calling up his chameleon skills. It was time to set up Draco's payment for his insults, and then Harry could go do a Friday night visit with Luna before spending the weekend spreading discord throughout the world.

* * *

Harry ignored the moans coming from the greenhouse that had been taken over by frisky Devil's Snare and instead he concentrated on what he was outside the castle for. Harry snuck into another one of the greenhouses and stole a couple of the magical spiked/thorny bushes that the first years were supposed to repot.

After that it was a simple matter of asking Hogwarts to help Harry sneak quietly through the secret passages of the castle into the first year Slytherin boys rooms where he could plant the pots under the bed of Draco Malfoy; along with a copious amount of magical glowing fertilizer and a bit of a watering charm.

For good measure, Harry set a ward up on Draco's pillow with a silencing charm and petrification charm to trigger when the ward line was broken by Draco's head.

The chameleon shifted Harry then proceeded to leave the castle and apparated outside Luna's house.

Using claws that extended from his fingers, Harry quickly and quietly scaled the wall of the Rookery before slipping into Luna's room.

The room was dark, but Harry could clearly make out Luna's pale golden hair across the room, her blond hair was laid out on the pillow of her bed, reflecting what little starlight trickled in through the open window behind Harry.

Harry slowly stalked across the room, and then gazed down at the sleeping Luna before carefully sitting down on the bed next to her.

Harry didn't understand what it was about the girl that drew him to her, but there was something there that seemed to call to him. Not being able to help himself, he brushed the back of his knuckle lightly across Luna's cheek before tucking a strand of loose hair behind the girl's ear.

"mmmmh, Harry…" Luna murmured before curling deeper into her pillow and clutching it in a hug.

Harry couldn't help it but smile a bit that the girl was obviously dreaming about him. Not wanting to wake her as she was clearly sound asleep, Harry started to stand to leave, when out of nowhere he felt the instinctual urge to bend forward and he ended up planting a small kiss on Luna's forehead.

It was only a quick peck, but Luna seemed to let out a sighing purring sound as Harry backed away. This brought an even bigger smile to his face as he slowly backed away from Luna.

Not wanting to have Luna think that he had forgotten about her, Harry silently padded across the room to where Luna kept a desk and paper; smatterings of Quibbler articles and details on crumpled horns covered the desk, but Harry was able to find a slip of paper that was clear of scribbles or drawings of bottle caps and little fairy creatures.

Borrowing Luna's quill and ink well, Harry quickly penned a note saying that 'she looked cute when sleeping' and that 'he would see her on Sunday.' Harry then slid across the room and laid his note on the pillow that Luna was hugging, before digging out a sprig of catnip that was in his pocket and casting a sticking charm on both so that they would remain attached to Luna's pillow; for her to find in the morning.

With that, Harry slipped out the window into the early night, the darkness of the moonless night covering his exit as he went about his night's work of sowing discord in human civilization.

* * *

Harry and Sirius's idea had been simple. Civilization works because people follow the rules laid out for them. Don't speed, drive on the proper side of the road, don't steal, don't murder, these were some of the simple rules that the 'civilized' humans followed. For those humans who did not follow those rules there was the judicial and prison system. You steal, you go to jail. You kill, you go to jail. Those criminals who broke society's rules were seen as incapable of bowing to the rules, so had to be locked up. However, while the criminals were seen as those who couldn't be trusted, they still were trusted to follow a certain set of rules while in jail, for the truth of the matter is that the prisoners far outnumbered the guard staff. This is where Harry's idea really came to be, with one simple question.

What would happen if the criminals didn't follow the rules of the prison system, of the judiciary, of the police?

What if the criminals knew that prison was a death sentence? What happened if Harry made it clear that going to jail didn't mean you got three meals a day, plenty of time to just be lazy and all of your medical costs taken care of while you watched the telly? What type of discord would take place throughout the world if the criminals always fought to the death with the police because they refused to go to jail?

That is why Harry was currently in Nundu form running cross country towards Durham county and Her Majesty's Frankland Prison, a prison that housed the worst of the worst in the UK.

By the time Harry had reached Frankland Prison, he was just starting to get warmed up, and the thrill of the night's hunt was starting to build in him; his Nundu instincts were calling for flesh to eat and blood to drink.

Harry dampened back his instincts as this wasn't going to be a hunt, it was going to be a silent slaughter.

Crawling on his paws towards the fence line and walls surrounding Frankland Prison, Harry reached the walls and quickly covered the no-man's land to the wall in a blink of the eye before digging in his claws and using them to spring over the tall wall. Inside the walls Harry slunk and zipped from small shadow to shadow before making his way up to the four main prison wings and jumping to the top of the roof.

Harry landed his massive Nundu form with a delicate grace, barely causing a crunch in the gravel covered roof by cushioning his landing with his coiled muscles. Then it was a simple matter of walking over to the heating and air conditioning intake on the top of the roof. A quick intake of air, and then an exhale of Nundu breath, and Harry was sprinting and springing to the next prison wing's roof before repeating his action.

Four wings, and then the administrative buildings, and then Harry was out of Frankland Prison and leaving behind more than eight hundred dead prisoners and guards. About a mile from Frankland Harry changed back to his human form before apparating back to London in search of one of London's ancient cemeteries.

* * *

The Bastille had been France's largest jail until the muggle French Revolution saw it overrun. However the muggles hadn't overrun the entire jail, a fact that clearly showed in the warded dungeons and secret grounds of the French Ministry of Magic's magical jail Bastille that was still fully staffed and used to hold magical prisoners. Staffed by humans rather than dementors 'like those barbarous Brits,' the French prison was none the less a dark dank pit of despair, overrun with vermin and filled with the moans and cries of the inhabitants. France did not believe in the death penalty, but that didn't mean that the prisoners who came to inhabit the Bastille left it alive, for the rule was that all prisoners who entered stayed forever; a fact shown by the hidden catacombs beneath the Bastille dungeons, filled with the dead and the skeletons of the famous muggle and infamous magical prisoners who never left the Bastille.

It was into these dark hidden catacombs of the dead that Harry Potter walked, entering the catacombs through a seemingly dead end corridor as mist swirled and London fog trickled into the Paris underground as Harry traveled the pathways of the dead.

Casting a "Lumos," Harry's wand panned an eerie light on the grinning fleshless skulls that lined the walls; Harry's evil smile grinning back at the eyeless sockets of the dead that surrounded him.

Extinguishing his wand, Harry took his wand to his lips, as if he were going to play it like a flute, and then slowly whistled a tune over it before lightly blowing on his wand. And with those actions, Harry cast an ancient spell dug up from the depths of the Black family history.

The story goes that long ago a young member of the Black family had been traveling through Europe making his way by hook and by crook through the muggle world as he journeyed in search of lost magical knowledge. The young traveling Black had stumbled upon a German town overrun by rats and mice. Being that he wore black dirty robes of the type seen on the rat catchers of the large cities, who in the large cities were actually wizards casting anti-vermin wards, the city asked the man to lead the rats out of the city with the promise that they would pay the man. Being a Black, the young man had scowled at muggles, but accepted on the promise of gold. Being a Black and an accomplished spell maker, the young wizard had created the spell that attracted vermin to him with a tune that seemed to be equivalent to musical Imperius on the rats and mice. Casting his tune and his will, the young Black had freed the town of the rats and mice, only for the muggle citizens to refuse the promised payment. Scowling, the young wizard had left, only to return in the night and again cast his spell; this time leading the muggle children out of the town and to their deaths in the Black Forest where they were eaten by Hags, werewolves and the other dark creatures that made up mainland Europe's most dark forest. The story and spell had been written down in the Black family history as another reason to hate muggles and their thieving ways. It was this spell that Harry now used to attack the Bastille and its inhabitants.

Rats are nasty creatures, willing to attack in mass and capable of stripping the flesh off of large animals when they swarm enough. This wouldn't have been a problem in most magical households or buildings, except who cares if rats and vermin were to bother the prisoners of the Bastille; they were prisoners and meant to suffer after all. Therefore no anti-vermin wards had been cast over the ancient French magical jail.

Harry played, and he played and played. For fifteen minutes he played his music, making sure the magic of the spell had the time to filter through the entire length, width and depth of Paris and the miles of sewers and cellars beneath the sprawling city. At the end of that fifteen minutes, when Harry was sure that he had connected with the minds of all of the rats in the city, he cast his will out with one order.

"Come and Eat here; there is food for you're here." Harry commanded through his magic and will as he felt the magical music snap the command into place, the will and intent sealing the command into the minds of every filthy ever hungry rat in Paris; and there were a lot of rats in Paris.

With that command ordered, Harry smirked and stopped playing before closing his eyes and turning to walk back towards the dead end behind him. Just as he was about to walk into the dead end wall of the skeleton filled corridor, a misty fog rose up and rot iron gates appeared before Harry; gates which Harry pushed his way through to move to the next cemetery.

Behind Harry the sounds of tiny squeaking voices was just beginning to be heard, in front of him the night's path across the Earth beckoned as Harry proceeded on to his next target in Eastern Russia.

* * *

The magical Russian gulag on the eastern boarder was warded six ways from Sunday, and there was absolutely no way that Harry was going to be able to breach its external defenses through physical or magical force. As Harry stared down at the medieval castle that bristled with guards and magical gargoyles who watched the ramparts through the flickering torchlight that spanned ever foot of the walls, Harry knew that any attack on the facility would have to be an 'inside job.'

With that in mind, Harry closed his eyes and allowed the nighttime breeze that wafted through the trees to connect him to the elements in his surroundings.

Stretching his senses through the elements of wind and air towards the giant stone gulag, Harry called out to the traitor that would help him to destroy the castle from the inside. As usual, it's the simple solutions that the wizards miss, and the traitor in their midst wasn't a person or living thing, it was their very source of light; Harry connected to the fire present in the torches, candles and fire places that filled the castle.

Now it's kind of hard to have anti-fire wards on a place when you rely on fire for heat in your fireplaces and fire on your torches and candles to light everything. That said, who would need such a thing as an anti-fire ward when the entire castle was made out of stone?

The Russian Aurors who guarded the boarder prison were about to learn that even stone will burn if the fire is hot enough, and the easiest way to get a fire hotter is to add oxygen; and that is exactly what Harry did.

It started off as a slight increase in the wind around Harry, a breeze that blew and twisted the Ravenclaw school robes that Harry still wore. But then the wind began to grow until his hair swirled and blew, the breeze becoming a strong wind, the strong wind becoming a gale, and then the gale becoming a swirling maelstrom with Harry at the center of it. All through the gathering wind Harry kept his eyes closed until the trees around him were threatening to uproot from the ground and the dirt was ripped from the ground to swirl around him in a twister of debris.

Hidden from sight by the wind around him and the darkness of the night, Harry opened his eyes, and they glowed with power.

With a shove of his arms towards the sky, Harry directed the wind straight up into the night sky and the twister disappeared into the night sky to make the grove of trees around Harry turn suddenly quiet as the air was absolutely still.

Harry watched down below, waiting to time his blow for when it would be most effective. One second, and then two seconds passed. A tenth and even a twelfth second passed as the wind was busy climbing up into the atmosphere and gaining force. And right before the count got to fifteen, a gleaming smile came across Harry's face, and his eyes seemed to burn with an inner red fire as he commanded the elements.

"Burn." Harry whispered.

Down below in the gulag the Russian Aurors were doomed. Every torch, every fireplace, every candle and every cigarette flared to life in an instant, the very instant when that torrential gale of wind came flooding out of the night sky above the ancient Russian castle and pumped the castle full of pure air; air fed the flames and burned hot, flash-frying the entire castle.

A flame storm shot out of the castle reaches, hitting the inside of the gulag's wards and disintegrating them in a flash of light at the same time that all of the oxygen in the gulag was extinguished in pyric fury.

Harry smiled as orange, reds, blues and white colored flames lit the night and cast shadows on his face through the trees; he could feel the heat even while standing hundreds of meters away.

Harry's smile took on an even eviler grin as he thought he heard screams coming from the fire, though he knew that was just his imagination playing tricks on him. It's impossible to scream when you have no oxygen to breath, and there was no way that the solid firestorm in front of him had left any oxygen unused inside the confines of the prison.

His job done, Harry transformed back into his Nundu form. He was going to head south and fill a Turkish prison full of his poison breath before heading towards the middle east and then on to China.

The night was young and so was Harry, and since he was keeping up with the passage of the night across the Earth, Harry would continue to keep one step ahead of any possible warning that could precede him.

* * *

China saw Harry using the imperius on a "re-education" camp's guards as they slept in their barracks. Said guards then picked up their guns, attached bayonets, and proceeded into the camps where they first slaughtered the officer in charge of the camp, the other guards on duty, and then went through the camp slaying the inhabitants one building at a time before turning their weapons on each other.

In the Philippines Harry flooded the prison with poisonous insects, Australia he sent snakes and insects in to kill the inhabitants of the prison, and Mexico he only used rattle snakes whom he had instructed in parseltongue not to rattle before biting the prisoners and to leave the guards alive; just to mess with the humans' heads.

With the United States Harry wanted to hit two locations. First at San Quentin State Prison in California Harry tapped into some of his resources that he had purchased around the world and smuggled enough exploding Erumpent fluid into San Francisco to blowup an entire wing of the prison and create a gap in the prison wall large enough for the remaining prisoners to easily flee through. This had been accomplished by doing a purposefully shoddy transfiguration of the large container of the fluid into the form of a seagull; something that was common in the Bay area but which didn't commonly fly at night. Said seagull was then imperio'd to dive-bomb the wall of the main building. The impact was enough to unravel Harry's purposefully shoddy transfiguration work and the seagull exploded with force matching a van filled with an ammonium nitrate fuel bomb.

Harry made a mental note to be more careful when working in the United States, for no sooner had his seagull breached the wards on the prison and exploded then the area was swarming with heavily armed Auror squads that portkeyed into the area and began to search for targets of opportunity. It was only Harry's innate chameleon abilities and the fact that the Aurors were searching for an adult or group of adults rather than a child or teen that kept Harry from being attacked immediately.

A similar situation happened when Harry attempted to attack Alchatraz Island, where the Magical portion of the jail was still alive and well. No sooner had Harry finished his 'kitty paddle' across the waters of the San Francisco bay in his Nundu form than the alarms on the island started to blare that there was an intruder. This ended Harry's nightly killing spree around the world as not only do cat's not like to get wet, but now it seemed like the United States knew that they were under attack and were actively searching for invaders.

It was this crappy ending to Harry's rampage that caused him to call it a night and to head to Grimmauld Place to see what Sirius was up to.

'_Perhaps Sirius can give me an idea for something else fun to do to fill this weekend, now that my Saturday plans are shot,_' Harry thought as he apparated away from Alcatraz and towards a cemetery he had noted on the outskirts of San Francisco.

* * *

Harry stomped up the stairs into Grimmauld place, opened the door and then slammed it behind him in his foul mood. Several of the paintings told him to keep the noise down as it was now early in the morning and they were sleeping, but Harry's rather savage growl and flashing eyes shut them up quickly.

"Sirius!" Harry yelled up the stairs to where he assumed his uncle was sleeping. Getting no answer, Harry growled irritably and was about to head up the stairs to give his dogfather a rude awakening when he heard a muffled whine and some maniacal laughter coming from down the hall in the kitchen.

Quirking his head to the side, Harry heard more shifting and movement from the kitchen and thought he would check out what was going on, as he was sure that it wasn't Dobby making the noise; house elves barely ever made a sound that would draw attention, and certainly not at this ungodly early hour in the morning.

Tromping through the hall noisily, just because he was pissed off and Harry wanted to petulantly share his grumpy mood with the inhabitants of the paintings in the Black Manor, Harry slammed the door to the kitchen open.

"What the hell is going on here…" Harry started off in a bellow, but his words died off and his eyes got large at what he saw in the room.

There, wrapped up like a suckling pig with an apple in his mouth, his feet and hands tied tightly under him and sitting on a silver platter was what looked like a giant pig, but which Harry quickly recognized as his sweating naked cousin Dudly Dursley.

"GAAWWW!" Harry yelled, covering his eyes and turning away from the sight of his fat naked cousin trust up like a pig and wrapped in red ribbons. Out of the corner of his eye Harry saw his godfather Sirius smirking at him from the kitchen's sink.

Sirius laughed at Harry's reaction, "Surprise!" Sirius shouted and waved towards Dudly.

"Why thank you Sirius, but did you really have to permanently scar me with the image of my fat naked cousin pissing himself in fear on the kitchen table? You're cleaning that you know? Not even I'm cruel enough to force Dobby to clean up that mess." Harry complained before casting a charm at Dudly that shrouded Dudly in tight constricting ropes; ropes which thankfully covered Dudly's nakedness so that Harry and his perfect occlumency gifted memory didn't have to be further scarred.

Sirius just shrugged and laughed again before replying jovially, "Eh, we'll burn the table and get Dobby to buy us a new one." Sirius answered with a shrug and a smile pasted across his face, "Besides, I wanted to give you a gift after you were so kind as to give me Pettigrew, so here you go!" Sirius stated with a wave at the whale that was Harry's cousin.

Harry's earlier scowl turned upside down and became a beaming smile as he walked over to his godfather and gave Sirius a big hug.

"Thanks Sirius, this is probably one of the best gifts anybody has ever given me. Where did you find him?" Harry finished with a question after pounding Sirius on the back in a manly sort of hug.

"Well remember that juvenile facility that I was scheduled to kill off earlier this week? Well I was going through the junior criminals section after killing off the guards when I came across this gent. Naturally I recognized him from the memories you shared with me and thought, hey, what better gift to give to Harry than his formerly abusive cousin Dudly?" Sirius answered, still smiling but with that kind of crazy manner to him that informed the bystander that the person was certifiably crazy but believed that they were in fact a rational being.

Harry smiled a large smile back at Sirius, before turning towards the muffled Dudly with a now feral grin.

"Oh dear cousin, don't worry about getting up. It's time we play a game that you so used to enjoy when we were young. I think you used to call it 'Harry Hunting.' Well now it's only fair that it's my turn to be 'it' and chase you, after all you did catch me and 'tag' me so well the last time we played; you and your little gang of friends that is." Harry stated with a growl and a now evil smile.

Finishing his statement, Harry tapped his still drawn wand on the silver platter that Dudly was resting/peeing on and said, "Portus."

Before looking back at Sirius. "Thanks again Sirius, this really is a great gift. I'll be back in a few hours, I can't imagine the hunt taking any longer than that." With that said, Harry activated the portkey.

"Africa," Harry stated while grabbing a hold of the ropes that bound the groaning Dudley; and with a flash Harry and Dudley were gone.

* * *

Harry and Dudley appeared in a flash several feet above the ground of the sunny African veldt; Harry did nothing to cushion Dudly's impact with the ground and Harry smiled while cushioning his own landing with the inhuman strength in his legs.

"mrrphowwww," Duddly groaned around the apple that was still charmed into his mouth like a gag.

"Now now, You shouldn't talk with your mouth full Dudley. Not that I ever had the chance to even have my mouth full of food when I lived with you all, but here, let's get you all unbound so we can have a proper conversation." Harry stated with a gleam in his eye. A couple flicks of his wand a few "Finites" on the ropes and ribbons and a "Deletrius" to disappear the apple had Dudly unbound and groaning in the dirt before realizing where he was.

Looking up at Harry like a rabbit trapped by a lion, Dudley's eyes got big and he quickly started crab walking away from Harry as quickly as possible.

Harry tried to avert his eyes from the view of his cousin's privies, though there was little to see; Harry didn't want any additional psychological scars than what he already had after all.

"Tut tut Dudly, we can't have this." Harry stated, walking forwards to keep up with Dudly's backwards flight from Harry. Harry slid his wand back into his sleeve. "See, I'm not going to hurt you with my wand. I promise." Harry stated before stopping and spreading his arms wide to show he was 'unarmed.'

Dudley slowed down and looked up at Harry to see what was going to happen next.

Harry just stood there, watching Dudley. Dudley looked around, then looked back at Harry, and Harry could plainly see on Dudley's face that Dudley had just come up with some sort of plan before the pudgy boy attempted to play coy and sneaky. Of course Dudley Dursley couldn't act innocent to save his life, and that was planning something was about as obvious to Harry as if Hagrid had decided to ride naked on a Thestral through the Great Hall during dinner.

"Heh heh, you're being funny Harry." Dudley said, trying to chum up to Harry as he slowly got up and started to move closer. "Thanks for getting me away from that freak of a godfather of yours." Dudley continued, not seeing the tick in Harry's eye when Dudley said the 'F' word. Apparently Dudley was as stupid as ever, for rather than fleeing from Harry he started to smile at Harry, that type of smile Dudley always got before he hurt Harry.

"Now now Dudley, let's not being using any F words. But you know what, for old times sake I'll let you be 'it' first. And then it will be my turn." Harry replied with a pasted smile on his face. "Agreed?" Harry finished.

Dudley was about five feet in front of Harry and moving closer when he answered. "Agreed!" Dudley stated, and charged forwards with his fist, using all of his gross obese weight to power a blow right at Harry's face.

Two seconds before the blow landed, a large feral smile split Harry's face, and one second before the blow landed, ridged masses of exoskeletal armor shot up out of Harry's flesh creating a suit of spiked hard armor that covered Harry from head to toe; right in time for Dudley's fist to impact with said spiky hardened armor.

A loud "CRACK!" sound echoed across the landscape as Dudley's fist hit Harry's face full force; only it wasn't Harry's face that broke, it was Dudley's hand.

Dudley's eyes got big as the pain traveled up his arm to his brain, his brain then sent a signal to Dudley's lungs, and his lungs contracted, forcing all of the air in Dudley's lungs out over Dudley's vocal cords.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Dudley screamed as he pulled back his bloody broken hand; a sharp ridge that ran down the front of Harry's nose armor having split Dudley's hand almost in half as it neatly bisected Dudly's punching fist between the second and third knuckles while at the same time breaking Dudley's knuckles due to the force of the blow.

Harry smirked and raised a finger to his face where he whiped a bit of blood off and stuck it in his mouth. The armor on Harry's face seemed to scrape and chitter as Harry's smile grew Cheshire like, splitting impossibly from ear to ear as chitin plates scrapped against each other as Harry's facial muscles moved.

"It's my turn now Dudley, and I'll even give you a head start of ten seconds." Harry stated.

Dudley stopped screaming at Harry's words and looked up at his previously 'weak' cousin.

Harry seemed to be covered in chitinous armor of spikes and overlapping plates. The plates and spikes that had formed on Harry's body split the seams of Harry's clothing and robes, jagged edges neatly slicing through the fabric and making Harry appear to be some weird alien that would be more fitting in a science fiction horror movie as opposed to the veldts of Africa where they now stood.

"One" Harry began counting, his voice rasping out of his armor.

Dudley's eyes got large and he quickly swung around to face away from Harry and began to try to run.

"Two" Harry slowly continued to count as he watched Dudley try and get his naked bulk up to speed to escape Harry.

"Three" Harry continued slowly, at which time Dudley was already wheezing and out of breath, but had made some good distance and was about to disappear behind a swath of thorn trees.

"Four" Harry counted, raising his voice so that Dudley could hear it over the distance. Harry smirked to himself as he heard his cousin Dudley scream again, no doubt the naked fat boy had stepped on a sharp rock, fallen thorn or perhaps caught himself on one of the scrub brushes thorns.

"Mind the sharp rocks Duddy-kins" Harry shouted with a smile and a laugh before yelling out, "Five!"

At six, Harry got tired of counting and shrugged, "Eh, that's far enough, now it's my turn to hunt" Harry stated.

Raising his head to the sky, Harry screamed out a sound, an inhuman sound that was more a cross of the scream of a predator mixed with the hiss of a giant cockroach rather than a human yell.

Then Harry smiled and focused on the direction that Dudley had run, and still Harry waited.

They came in ones and twos, and then threes and fours. Out of holes in the ground, burrows in the trees. Out of the rocks and from swarms in the air Harry's brothers and sisters, the creepy crawlies of the African veldts answered his hunting call and gathered around him, and still Harry waited.

The sky began to darken in patches as swarms of locus rose up from the fields that they were eating and took to the air to fly to Harry's position, and Harry merely counted out, "Seven."

Spiders, ant-lions, entire termite mounds worth of insects scurried to Harry's location and still he waited, "Eight."

Flies, the type that cause river blindness, the biting, the stinging, the pestilence baring flies flew out of every dung heap and corpse for miles around and buzzed to Harry's location, and still he counted, "Nine."

The mosquitoes, those small bearers of malaria and plagues flew towards Harry, even the fleas and ticks rushed to answer Harry's call. "Ten. Ready Or Not, Here We Come!" Harry yelled out in English towards where his fleeing cousin had disappeared. Then, turning from right to left Harry addressed his brethren.

"/Come brothers and sisters, today we hunt. Today you dine well./" Harry finished in the language of the creepy crawlies.

With that Harry concentrated for a second, and a cracking and shifting sound came from Harry's back, before the clothing along his spine split and his shirt and robes were shredded in a burst of fabric. When the fabric settled down, Harry's wings were resplendent for all to see, flapping incandescent and sparkling in the sun stretched Harry's insectoid wings.

Flapping his multiple wings experimentally and remembering how he used them inside his mind with Mutwa, Harry took to the sky; and along with him came the hordes of Harry's flying brethren while the masses of ground crawling insects charged forward devouring everything in their path.

They had prey to catch, and Harry's brethren would dine well that day.

* * *

**1: Quote from book by JKR**

**AN: Well there you go, better late than never. I'll sleep on it and see about what I want to do in the next chapter. I have most of it worked out; I just have to decide what bits and bobs I want to add in this next chapter versus a future chapter. A little creepy of an ending I know, but I didn't want to have Harry have all of these animal hybrid forms and not use them. Cheers!**


	19. Chapter 19: Growth and Evolution

Freak of Nature

Do you really think I own Harry Potter? If so, I've got this great deal for you on waterfront property in Florida and shares on a bridge in Brooklyn.

**AN: Wow, this chapter has been sitting in my "to be finished" pile for over two years now. Way too long of a time to let this story rest. It is in no way abandoned, and I'll probably work pretty heavily on this after I finish Spark. Both Aspects and Spark are coming to a close here within not too many chapters, so I will have time to finish this off after that. Until then, enjoy the chapter and sorry for the wait. Cheers!**

* * *

[parsel]

/creepy crawly critters/

**{Primal Beast Language}**

'_thought'_

**Chapter 19: Growth and Evolution**

"My theory of evolution is that Darwin was adopted."  
~Steven Wright

The time was 9:30 AM on a Saturday morning, the location was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the majority of students were having a bit of a lay in. Harry Potter was no different than the other students in that he was also asleep up in his door room. However, that Harry had just gone to sleep an hour and a half earlier after dining a-la'-Dudley, well that probably made him a one and only in the Hogwarts a History.

The sunlight was pouring in from the open window in Harry's private little room in the Ravenclaw tower, and like some sleeping cat Harry Potter was laying naked and curled up in a ball on the top of his bed linens sleeping in the warmth of the morning rays of sunshine.

Now whereas most first year students to Hogwarts may have been dreaming about homework, new friends, greasy black haired scary teachers, or the boy-who-lived, Harry was dreaming about sheep.

What is so weird or different about counting sheep in your dreams you may ask? The answer is nothing, unless said dream created sheep are wearing the faces of your classmates and you are a giant Nundu who is not counting how many sheep jump over a fence, but rather counting how many sheep you have eaten.

'_Fifteen, num num num num, chomp chew.' _The dreaming Harry thought as his Nundu self finished eating the first year Slytherin's and remaining Ravenclaw sheep and moved on the flock of sheep in Gryffindor colors.

Just as he was about to start munching on the sheep that were wearing the faces of his teachers, an old long bearded goat that was Dumbledore started bleating at him, "Mmmmmister Potter. Mmmmister Potter, wake up mmmmmister Potter."

A dull knocking sound threw Harry out of his sleep, and he sat bolt upright in his bed to look around and smack his lips and scratch his bare chest. Blinking his eyes, Harry looked down and then around his room trying to figure out what had awoken him. The only thing that he noticed out of place in the room was that it looked like his body had gone through another growth spurt. No longer did Harry look like a muscular early teen, but now he was decidedly sporting the musculature and physical development of a sixteen year old.

Harry looked down, and sure enough the puberty fairy had visited last night and gifted Harry with the development of hair in places where it hadn't been before.

Harry smirked a sharp-toothed smile to himself in a bit of immature bravado as he checked out his own increased girth and size due to the evening's growth spurt.

Harry's examination of his body and tackle was interrupted by another knocking on the door.

The repeated Knock Knock Knock, was again prefaced by an adult voice stating, "Mister Potter, I would like to talk to you please."

Harry yawned and stretched, mouth gaping wide open and showing a set of impressive fangs before he smacked his lips and focused on making his features more human rather than their current decidedly feline state. Rubbing his eyes, Harry hopped out of bed butt naked and moved toward the closed door to his Ravenclaw dorm room.

Two more hard knocks on the door were followed by Harry grousing in reply, "I'm coming I'm coming, don't get your wand in a twist."

Harry padded across the door and threw it open with a growl, "What do you want?" Only to see Headmaster Dumbledore standing in the doorway, eyes twinkling.

Harry mentally bit back the several dozen curses that threatened to spill out of his mouth; instead he pasted a fake smile on his face and stepped back into the room.

"Sorry, I didn't know it was you headmaster, let me grab some clothes." Harry stated and quickly turned to grab some clothing; there was something about Dumbledore's gaze raking over him in his naked state that made Harry's skin crawl.

"Certainly my boy. But I'm afraid we've had some terrible news and I need to talk to you about your possible involvement." Dumbledore replied as he looked over the young boy.

'_No, definitely a young man… hmmm, interesting, I don't remember him being this developed last time I saw him. Then again at my age and given how long I've been here at Hogwarts, all of the children start to look the same.'_ Dumbledore thought to himself as he looked Harry over with a bit more than an academic eye.

Harry quickly threw on a pair of pants without bothering with underwear before snagging a shirt and tossing it on also, noticing that the shirt was tight for a moment but then quickly resized to his new body. _'Thank GoGo for self changing growth charms on clothes.'_ Harry thought before he turned back to address Dumbledore.

The somewhat eerie smile on Dumbledore's face had the predatory instincts in Harry's body wanting to permanently solve his problems with the headmaster, but Harry was able to reign in his more bloody instincts for the moment with the mental promise to himself that the headmaster would be dealt with in the future.

Harry forced an innocent approximation of a smile to his face and questioned "Yes headmaster, what can I help you with?"

Dumbledore blinked, coming out of the admiring day dreams that he had been perusing in his mind before putting on a serious look and standing tall, hoping to intimidate Harry, "Is there something you want to tell me about your activities last night Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore questioned, calling upon his Headmaster persona in order to try and guilt or pressure the school boy into spilling any nefarious deeds.

Harry smiled politely, his own eyes innocently looking back at Dumbledore while answering, "Why I was here all night sir, studying and reading ahead in my books so that I'm prepared to help out my fellow classmates. Was there something specific about my pursuits that you wanted to know?" Harry questioned, but in his mind he was thinking, _'Like how I killed probably hundreds of thousands of prisoners, an unknown number of guards, and don't forget set up a gift for that pompous arse Malfoy.'_

"Now now Mr. Potter, I know you were out of your dorm last night and in the area of the Slytherin dorms." Dumbledore lied, for the greater good of course, because he knew nothing of the sort. Still, at Dumbledore's statement, something briefly flashed behind Harry's eyes.

Harry's mind was in turmoil and no not because that little inbred bastard had gotten hurt, no, Harry would have preferred if the boy had died in horrible pain. Nobody spurned Harry's offers and walked away from it unscathed. No, what had his mind in turmoil was whether or not Dumbledore actually knew that Harry had been involved in the attack on Draco, and more importantly how. Harry realized that he must have let something slip, as the headmaster's grandfatherly smile quirked ever so much larger.

Harry blinked and faked a confused frown on his face, "But headmaster, I can assure you that I was here in my dorm room before curfew, and I don't even know where the Slytherin dorms are." Harry played dumb, following the First Marauder Rule of detention avoidance: when blame is pointed at you, deny, deflect, and lie your arse off.

Dumbledore's eyes stopped sparkling as the old man's mask slipped, and Harry saw for a brief instant the powerful wizard that scared Voldemort. However the moment was quickly passed and back on Dumbledore's face was the persona of the wise grandfather. The game of cat and mouse continued.

"Now now my boy, I'm sure you will agree that the happenstance between your disagreement with young Mr. Malfoy comes at a distinctly suspicious time right before said student was found horribly mangled by sharp rooted plants quickly growing up through his body from beneath his bed. This is the type of action that could get you expelled if you weren't truthful. Now I know you didn't mean to hurt Draco so badly, but if you will admit to pulling the prank then I can give you a lighter punishment." Dumbledore continued to stare down at Harry Potter, the boy whom upon all of his plans hinged. However the boy remained blinking up at Dumbledore in confusion.

'_Ok, deflect the blame to somebody else,_' Harry thought to himself before replying, "But that's impossible Sir, I couldn't get into the Slytherin dorms even if I knew where they were. Though if it helps, I did see Theodore Nott glaring at Draco in class, and the two share a room. Maybe if you asked Theodore?" Harry posited.

Dumbledore's eyes stopped sparkling as his frustration grew. The conversation was absolutely not going the way he expected, and the boy was turning out to be slipperier than the giant squid in the Black Lake.

"Listen here Mr. Potter, I know you were the one to plant the quick growing spine plants under Draco's Malfoy's bed, why the boy was quiet dreadfully wounded as he was unable to move as the plant forced itself to grow up through the bed and through the chest cavity of the young man." Dumbledore chastised Harry, leaning forward to tower over the young man in the hopes to scare him into confessing.

The truth was that the recent accidents in the school all had one common denominator, that of Harry Potter. This was all for the greater good after all, and if Dumbledore could get Harry to crack and admit, then the headmaster could seize control of the boy and potentially enforce a strict guardianship on the lad. Harry had to be under his control, or all would be lost… or so Dumbledore thought.

Dumbledore leaned down until he was intimidatingly close to Harry, Dumbledore's beard and big nose getting down to just in front of Harry and almost forcing Harry to take a step back due to the invasion of Harry's personal space. There was just one problem with that.

The problem that the Dumbledore was about to experience was that unlike most school boys, and most humans in general. Harry Potter did not get intimidated. The animalistic and highly predatory nature of Harry Potter did not back down. Harry Potter did not react to supposed authority figures like a human being does. No, Harry Potter reacted to intimidation and invasion of his personal space like a Cat would, and a large feral cat at that.

As anybody who owns a cat will tell you, they are fiercely independent animals who do not like to be forced to do things and will even bite the hand that feeds them if they feel like it.

Albus Dumbledore's only warning that he may have made a mistake by leaning into Harry's face was the strange ability of Harry to seemingly lay his ears back. At that same moment, a slight "Hiss" escaped Harry's lips and Albus swore he saw Harry's iridescent green eyes turn slitted like cat's eyes.

And that's when Harry's fist met Albus Dumbledore's nose with enough impact to pick the Headmaster off his feet, leaning precariously over and into Harry's personal space as Albus was, and cause the Hogwart's Headmaster to fly off the ground to impact the ceiling of Harry's room; smashing flat Dumbledore's pointed hat and leaving both hat and headmaster to fall crumbled to the ground.

The hair on the back of Harry's neck stood on end and he hissed and spat at the fallen headmaster who lay unconscious at his feet. Every animal instinct in Harry's body was telling him to kill the unconscious Headmaster right then and there.

'_How Dare He Threaten me in my Den!? MY Territory!' _Harry thought furiously to himself as he moved forward and flipped the unconscious Dumbledore over with his bare foot, and none too gently as the kick to the ribs shoved Albus across the floor to impact against Harry's trunk.

The Headmaster's shallow breathing, as the man landed face up, showed that Dumbledore was still alive after Harry's kick and initial punch; probably thanks the prodigious level of magic that Albus had and magic's ability to make wizards bounce or survive that which would kill a normal muggle. Still, Albus's stay within the living would have been very short if it wasn't for a strange happenstance.

As Albus slid across the floor and impacted the trunk, the sleeve of Albus's robe on his right arm hooked on the claws that had subconsciously grown from Harry's toes when Harry lashed out at Dumbledore. With the kick, the viciously sharp claw had cut through Dumbledore's sleeve, and in fact cut loose the wand holster attached to Dumbledore's right forearm, causing Dumbledore's holster and wand to clatter onto the floor.

It wasn't the destruction of Albus's garb that caught Harry's attention, nor was it Harry suddenly coming to his senses and realizing that killing the Headmaster in his own room probably wasn't the greatest idea. No, what saved Dumbledore's life at that moment was the wand that slid out of Dumbledore's holster and rolled across the floor as if called to Harry.

In turn, Harry felt called to the ash colored knobby wand that rolled across the uneven stone of his room and stopped resting against his foot.

At the merest touch with Harry's foot he heard the song of the wand.

It sang of the grave, of the dark paths that Harry tread when he walked the paths of the dead.

It sang of the cycle of life, but more particularly of the strong devouring the weak, feasting on the flesh of the defeated so that the predator may continue to rule.

Harry's eyes were fully focused on the wand as they gleamed in interest, and his Cheshire smile grew across his face literally from ear to ear as he reached down and picked up the wand.

Ice.

It was like liquid ice was pumped through his veins and Harry's flesh rippled in a wave of power that originated with the hand touching the wand and rolled across his body like waves on a still pond that is disturbed by a rock dropped into it. Just so, the waves of power caused a physical reaction as Harry's flesh rippled from human toned skin, to fur, to scales and finally sharp chitinous plates in an expanding ripple before turning back to human skin tone as the power flowed in a wave from his hand, down his arm and then over the rest of his body; causing Harry to shiver in glee as a wind suddenly ripped the latch off the window of Harry's room and filled the room with the cold blustery Scottish air that swirled and caressed Harry's body.

GoGo was happy. Harry had finally found his wand, the tool by which he would remake the world.

* * *

Harry happily sprinted through the forests of the woods that surrounded the Rookery, headed to check up on Luna to see how her mind had settled out after the forceful and very painful restructuring and protective measures enacted. Sun filtered through the trees and Harry slid between the few shadows made by the branches that still retained their leaves. Still, Harry didn't dodge the prodigious sunny spots as he wasn't in any need of stealth and was instead just happy to be stretching his legs and enjoying his feeling of completion now that he had found his proper wand.

Harry chuckled to himself as he leaped over a log and then danced around a thorn bush as he kept to his quick pace and drew steadily closer to his destination, laughing as he remembered the fun of the morning while twirling his new wand negligently in his fingers.

A few memory charms here and there, a forceful tipping of a bottle of Ogden's Finest Firewhiskey down the old goat's throat, and finally planting the unconscious Albus Dumbledore in the teacher's lounge and Harry was off to spend the rest of his day. Still, it helped that Harry had transfigured Dumbledore's robes to look like McGonagall's normal tartan and heather dress, then he had flipped up said dress (disgusting as that might have been) before using a few sticking charms that led credence to the fact that Scots didn't wear underwear… well, that and that Albus now had his hands firmly stuck to his privates. Thus Harry had his perfect distraction and deniability for how Albus lost his wand, and if Harry was lucky then it would be a while before Albus tried to address the whole measly problem of Draco being skewered and shish-kobobed.

Harry jumped over a stump and pounced off a tree trunk in his way before landing in the clearing that sloped up to the base of the back of Luna's house.

Harry smirked a happy smile as he jogged across the remaining space and began to scale the wall up to Luna's room, his ears now picking up the sound of Luna's voice echoing in song out of the window to his friend's room:

"Hear now the words of the Witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into the light. This world has no right then to know it, And world of beyond will tell naught, The oldest of Gods is invoked there, The Great Work of Magic is wrought…"

"You have a beautiful voice." Harry interrupted Luna's tune by sticking his head up over the windowsill of her room and smiling to see his friend up and about.

Luna whirled towards the window with a huge smile on her face, her long blonde hair spinning behind her as the sun trickled through the window and illuminated her features to Harry.

Harry in turn smirked and finished pulling himself up to hop through the window, only to be hit in the chest by a short blonde missile as Luna plowed into him and hugged him tightly, all the while murmuring into his chest, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Harry was a bit taken aback and wasn't really used to being hugged, but the familiar smell of Luna's hair and the herbs she normally picked made him relax into the embrace and pat her back gently as her blonde hairs wisped in the breeze coming in the window and tickled his nose.

"You're welcome Luna, though I don't know what you're thanking me for." Harry prefaced his comments by carefully prying himself out of her embrace and looking down at her with a smirk on his face.

"For helping me remember!" Luna spouted excitedly before throwing her arms wide and spinning in a circle, her hair whipping out to smack Harry in the face as she spun, causing both to laugh at her infectious happiness.

Harry couldn't help but smile at how happy his one and only friend was. Instead he satisfied himself by plopping down on Luna's bed with a bounce while he watched her dance around the room and sing.

"It's a pretty song, but what did I help you remember?" Harry asked, picking at a frayed corner of the colorful patchwork quilt that decorated Luna's bed.

"Everything!" Luna raised her voice in glee as she finished spinning her circle and then launched herself backwards to bounce on the bed, her eyes shining with happiness as she looked up at Harry.

"My mother, the songs that she sang, even the connection she was trying to forge. I can hear the voices on the wind so much clearer now, and it doesn't drown out what's going on around me!" She stated with glee and wiggled down into the blanket as if she was a puppy or kitten trying to scratch her back on the floor.

Harry just smiled and nodded, it took a second before he caught her words and fully understood them, or at least thought he understood them. "Wait. Voices on the wind? Your mother?" Harry quirked an eyebrow and scooted back until his back was against the headboard and he could look down at Luna who was still sprawled on her back on the bed.

"Yep!" Luna smiled largely, her eyes going dreamy for a second before refocusing on Harry as she moved to lay on her side. "My mother died when I was very young, trying to do some sort of spell to connect her to the magic of the earth rather than just her core." At this point Luna's smile slipped for a moment, but quickly came back. "I was there and got caught up in a lot of the back lash, but now I can hear her again. My mother, she's part of something bigger, something both friendly and maternal yet willing to correct, like a grandmother perhaps. I've never known a grandmother before."

A breeze blew in through the window and ruffled the fringe on the quilt and danced through Luna's wispy hair and across Harry's face.

Luna's smile grew larger and she kicked her legs in joy and flopped on her back, "She's Happy! And she says she loves us both very much." Luna stated.

Harry quirked his head to the side, he had felt something come through the air, some sort of message from GoGo, the spirit of the earth. Still, he hadn't gotten any words, just little bits of sensations.

"You can hear her? The spirit of the Earth?" Harry questioned, his forehead wrinkled as this was clearly unexpected.

Luna pushed herself up to her knees and started bouncing up and down on the bed while staying on her knees. Her hair flying everywhere as she nodded vigorously and spoke even more quickly as only young girls can do. "Yes, and she tells me that you are her champion, and that she's happy with me, and that my mother is now a part of her, that I am her child, and that you and I are meant for each other, and how you're going to kill the nasty society so that GoGo can heal, and how I'm supposed to be a kitty cat also!" Luna's statement ended in a gasp as she stated her thoughts and what she had been told all in one breath.

Harry quirked his head to the side, as if he was some sort of animal, like a cat who hears the sound of a can of tuna opened and quirks its head to look up at the person opening it.

Luna smiled back at Harry and then reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling his arm towards her and pushing up the sleeve so that the sign of the cat's paw could be seen as a birthmark on the inside of his arm. The mark added to his skin when he was gifted the form of the Nundu.

"I'm supposed to be pack, mother says so, grandmother too, and they are so happy about your new wand, but that's not what I want to talk about. When can I be a kitty too Harry? Can we do it now? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Luna's quick statement took Harry aback.

Harry had never seen Luna as hyper as she was right now, but still, it was endearing to him. She was so much smaller than him at the moment, that the feline part of him thought of her as a kitten that needed to be protected, coddled and played with. The friendship that they had formed was only growing stronger, especially now that he realized that he had somebody to share his burden with; well, somebody besides his crazy Godfather who liked to wink and flirt with the wall covered in post-it-notes.

"Ok Luna, ok, we'll make you a cat also." Harry replied with a smile, only to finish his statement with an "Ouff!" as Luna launched herself across the bed and into his ribs as she hugged him.

"Thank you Harry, thank you! You're the best friend I've ever had." Luna's voice was muffled by her face being pressed into his chest, while Harry's chuckles made her bounce up and down.

Luna pulled away from Harry with a slight frown, and then quirked her head as she poked Harry in the rock hard abs.

"No fair. You've grown up again. Let's get hopping, I don't like feeling so much younger than you." She stated before biting her lip cutely.

"Ha! Fine, Come on you." Harry just chuckled, and for the first time initiated contact by wrapping his arms around Luna's waist and then throwing her over his shoulder while she giggled.

Luna giggled and kicked her legs as Harry stood up with her still over his shoulder and then jumped out the window with her still tightly in his grasp.

The fall was cushioned with his legs, legs that were beyond muscled and reinforced due to his rather unordinary body composition and evolution. Luna 'Oomphed' a little as the impact jarred Harry's shoulder into her stomach, but she was giggling again as Harry sprinted with her over his shoulder.

"Yay! I always wanted to be carried off by the prince." Luna giggled in glee from her place on Harry's shoulder.

And both friends smiled as they disappeared into the foliage.

A half hour later, if any wizard or muggle had visited deep into the woods, they would have seen one giant leapord like cat pawing and playing with a smaller pony sized leapord kitten.

All in all, it had been a wonderful day, and a day that developed in interesting ways.

Suddenly a stiff breeze blew through the trees, and both giant cats paused in their play as they quirked their heads; as if somebody had yelled for them in the distance and they were listening to the message.

Both cats looked at each other, and then in a sprint, both disappeared into the woods, heading for who knows where.

* * *

While Harry and Luna were having fun playing with Luna's new form, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore woke up with a groan when he slumped off his chair in the break room and hit the floor.

Startled awake, yet still in a drunken stupor, he struggled to regain his balance and stand up as the blurry room spun around him.

"Wha-where am I?" Albus choked out, the strong taste of fire whiskey on his breath told him that he had been drinking heavily, but everything else was a fog.

Ablus tried to use his hands to help himself up, but found that they were firmly secured to his wrinkly old todger, both hands interlocked and glued around his privies and his, what he thought was a robe, hiked up over his hands.

"What the, where am." Albus rolled over, a strong ache in his ribs and in his nose, though it was decidedly deadened by the amount of alcohol still in his system. It was at this point that through his blurry vision that he recognized the staff room of his school.

It was also at this moment that he heard the voices of McGonagall and Professor Sprout chatting and quickly approaching the closed door to the lounge.

It might have been the fright he felt at getting caught drunk in the break room, or worse yet exposing himself to his staff.

It might have been the large quantity of alcohol in his system.

Or it might have been the fact that his hands were glued to his penis and he wasn't used to wearing a long dress.

But whatever it was, just as Albus attempted to enter the staff lounge floo to travel back to the safety of his office, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore tripped, knocked over the container of floo powder into the fire, and said the first utterance that came to his mind upon tripping.

"Shit!"

And that's how the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot found himself in a dress with his hands glued to his privates, face first and head-to-ankles deep in a pile of fresh dragon shit; courtesy of "Abe's Magical Manure and Fertilizers."

* * *

Meanwhile, all across the world government's both muggle and magical were up in arms. The night before was being dubbed the "Passing of the Shadow of Death" in reference to the biblical plague against first born that had struck Egypt, but in this case had instead passed over the world and wiped out the populations of some of the most protected prisons known to mankind.

Word traveled fast, for just because people were in prison doesn't mean that they were without communication with the outside world. No, in fact in several parts of the world the leadership of large criminal organizations had been destroyed without a trace of the true attacker or their purpose. Gang wars and organized crime battles broke out across the world as criminals believed that the deaths of their leaders and members in prison was but the first shot in a larger effort to claim their territory. Government organizations struggled with the sudden loss of manpower and the unknown of who, what, where and why; some not even knowing if every prisoner was accounted for or possibly even on the loose.

Lawless areas and large cities around the world immediately saw increases in violence as the lieutenants of criminal organizations fought to assume the positions of power that were left with the vacuum formed by the deaths of so many criminals. Unfortunately for the governments of the world, the criminal violence was not limited to just killing other criminals, instead their activities often spilled out into the civilized communities and necessitated an increase in police activity to try and quell the violence. National guard and military forces were called up to try and stop the rapidly spreading bloodshed. Adding to the difficulties of the police and government was the fact that the criminals on the street learned of the deaths in the prisons and fought the police tooth and nail so as not to end up arrested or locked in what was beginning to be called a death trap; namely any jail. It might have been superstitious, but nobody knew who or what had been responsible for the massacres. All they knew was that if you were in jail, then there was a good case that you might get killed. Thus it didn't matter what the criminal did, they didn't want to be arrested and end up in a situation where they may be the next to be killed while locked in a cell.

Inside the halls of government arguments spread as elected and appointed figures alike pointed fingers and struggled to get anything done. In one night huge assets to their countries had been destroyed, often times with the guards dying as well. The guard forces at the remaining prisons demanded protection from the outside attackers, not wanting to risk dying with the criminals if the unknown attackers returned. This only made the situation more difficult as the remaining criminals in the world's prisons got word of the deaths and began to riot in the remaining prisons, not wanting to be rats trapped in a cage and waiting for who knows what to kill them who knows when. The sheer violence of the death and destruction, and the varied ways that it had been carried out, sent ripples of unrest through the prisons, both muggle and magical.

In short, the system started to break down.

* * *

**AN: Well, I really don't have an excuse for why this took so long to get updated. Once I finally figured out what I wanted to do with Luna, I was able to finish this chapter off in one foul swoop. Sorry for the wait gang, and sorry for the relatively short chapter compared to what I normally write. As I said before, this story is not abandoned and now that I got past the sticking point I expect to update this story interspersed with chapters of my other works. I hope you enjoyed it, and that said I need ideas for the weaknesses inherent in the system of society and civilization. I have some major events planned out, but I need examples from around the world of where the corruption lies, or where the keys to the distribution of food, resources and civility can be found. In short, I need targets, so please share with me your ideas. Cheers!**


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